


When I Grow Up...

by AristaStarfyr



Series: Commission [1]
Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Commission fic, F/M, Fluff, I had more fun than expected, M/M, Male Slash, Romantic Gestures, Work trade, romantic smutt, shameless fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-11
Updated: 2017-04-03
Packaged: 2018-08-08 00:44:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 32,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7736464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AristaStarfyr/pseuds/AristaStarfyr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My first public attempt at a human AU for TMNT.  This is a commission work for Sakycchan in trade for beautiful Omegaverse Pics of the turts first kids.    And since I wanted multiple pics, I figured a multiple chapter fic would be sufficient.  My original thought was six chapters buuuuuuut... I'm having fun with these guys in this 'verse.  It's going to be more than six.  And a flash fic piece.   Mucho thanks to Sakycchan for birthing this and letting me flesh it out!  The piece as a whole is not finished but I hope that the 6 chapters will be ready completely as the pictures are done and revealed.</p><p>All turtles/gentlemen are over 18 in this fic.  Leo and Mikey are bros and Don and Raph are bros.  There will be slash, gay fun in this fic and will be labeled accordingly.  </p><p>Kudos and comments are the lifeblood to an author.  PLEASE GIVE DONATE RED TO THE CAUSE!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Just a Smalltown Girl

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sakycchan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sakycchan/gifts).



It was _so_ good to be on his own. New town, new neighborhood, new prospects for a good life. This was how it was supposed to be after college, right? The only thing was that Leo wasn't expecting to move into a town a different state from his family. But that was where the academy was and he wasn't going to spoil his chance at his dream career. 

The neighborhood he was renting in was in typical suburbia. Many of the people here had children and it was June so the buses were still running for another week. When school let out, he was sure the days of summer would be filled with kids playing outside from sun up to sun down. In the meantime he was working on steadily emptying out the uHaul, just wanting to get the boxes and meager furniture in before it started pouring outside. His apartment was one of the lower units so he needed to go down a short flight of stair instead of up. He also didn't have to go far to the laundry room, either since it was right next door to his apartment. Time would tell if it would become a bother or not.

Unpacking the truck took all morning and then in the mid-afternoon Leo took a wrong turn and got lost returning it to one of the stations. That was embarrassing considering the station was less than ten minutes away. He decided to walk back instead of hailing a cab or bus. It was easier that way to get the lay of the land. A small smile graced his face when he turned the corner and recognized his apartment building, his pace speeding up slightly. Plans were to order a pizza with a two liter and relax by setting at least one of his rooms up before passing out. 

A split second later he felt his right shoulder shift forward along with his hip, causing a stumble in his gait. Recovering quickly, Leo looked up to see another guy jog past. Short running shorts, no shirt and glorious, glistening skin wrapped tight around muscular thighs and arms became the center of Leo's attention. The ponytail that bounced just below the guy's shoulders drew his eyes to the broad shoulders. Belatedly, he remembered that this guy just knocked into him and continued on his way. "Hey! Watch where you're going!"

That was enough for the young man to turn his head and glance back. Finely tanned skin, maybe Hispanic in origin and dark, flashing eyes were laughing at Leo. "Slow lane's on the _right_ , grandpa!" Now a true, verbal laugh floated to Leo's ears as the guy jogged away.

"What an ass," Leo muttered, deciding that the more appropriate emotion was irritation instead of his heart beating a mile a minute with his memory working double time trying to commit every feature he saw. He was having a really poor time convincing himself that it was to scold that guy in the future should they meet again and not have some inspiration for the times when he couldn't meditate away his tension. Dinner was quiet as he directed his thoughts to at least unpacking the bathroom and part of the kitchen. He could sleep in the living room and deal with his bed later. Sleep wasn't the best considering it was a new place. Once Leo had everything unpacked, he was sure it would feel more like home. He hoped it would, anyway.

The next morning found Leonardo sprawled out on the air mattress with the sun streaming in the ground floor window. Being essentially in the 'basement' level of the building, his rooms were cool and damp-a boon for the summer time but he was certain he would need extra heating in the winter. Leo never tolerated the cold well. The bathroom mirror showed the exhaustion of moving on his face with ice blue eyes ringed in dark circles. A speckle of a beard tried to break through (while other guys could get a 5 o'clock in the span of minutes, he seemed to be perpetually at two.) Once preparing for the day, he decided a brisk walk would help. 

They met again on the stair leading to the front door. He was coming from the top landing and Leo was from the bottom. "Hey! It's grandpa! Out late partying last night?" The taught was too cheerful and bright for the day. Too mocking. Leo was definitely not in the mood.

"Look. I just moved in. Literally," he explained. "I've been up trying to unpack."

"Uh huh. Whatever keeps your morale intact," The guy just dodged around Leo to get to the door first. "Just remember...we like it quiet by four thirty. That's just after dinner for you, right?" He flashed a grin before he darted out the door.

That was _it_. With a growl, Leo charged after him, noting he had already started running. "What's your issue, man?" He started running after him, unwilling to let it go this time. "Is your chip that big you can't just let it sit? You ran into me."

"Still sore about that? I said I forgave ya." He really hadn't expected this guy to follow him. Once people saw him they tended to leave him alone. This guy didn't seem to get it. 

"You didn't say anything other than insult me!" Leo had no clue as to why this man was infuriating him. And piquing his desires. The guy was a jerk and it showed through the first second he was slammed into. "That's not cool, man!"

At that moment the other guy stopped dead, swerving to look at Leo who had stopped short of running into him. "And what do you think you can do about it, huh?" There was a dark glint in his eyes as he gave the slightly shorter man a warning glare. "Stop barking up a tree that ain't yours."

"What?" That made Leo stop up short. "Just what in the world are you implying?" He was seriously beginning to believe that he had just moved into Crazytown with the way the guy was acting.

"Exactly." 

"That's not making any sense!" Leo had a gut feeling that he should have backed down then but he didn't, wanting to get to the bottom of this mystery more than anything. "What is so far up your pretentious ass that you can't act like a decent human being?" He was _glaring_ at the guy, and he knew he was challenging him. Right at that moment Leo didn't care. Instead of inciting more anger and aggression, that dangerously dark expression on the other man's face was making his heart beat a mile a minute and for a second he hoped that his shorts were heavy enough not to reveal anything.

His face, apparently, was another story. A slow, smug smirk showed on the guy's face as he watched Leo's expression shift. "Ya know," he drawled out slowly with his thick Brooklyn accent showing with this speed of talk more than anything else. "You're a fearless little shit, aren't you?" Leo growled softly, his face turning into a scowl at that. "Well, I can say there's nothing up my ass. Not _yet_ , anyway." 

He'd been caught! Now there was a furious blush on his face that was quickly streaking down his shoulders and collarbones while the guy laughed, shoulders relaxing. "Ya got balls, I'll give you that!" Leonardo had to look away, taking a step back.

"You're a jerk," was the only thing he could mutter, 

"I'm Raphael," he corrected, still smug over the fact he caught Leo in a compromising position.

"Like Rafael Carvalho?" This time Leo glanced up sullenly. "You look nothing like him."

"Pffsh, you know how many of those assholes pick Raphael as their MMA name? _Please_. At least _my_ name's on my certificate. So what's yours?"

It was an awfully weird way to come to introductions but Leo couldn't find himself to be too put out by it. "Leo."

"Like Leonidas?"

"No...Leonardo."

Another amused smirk twisted Raphael's face. "Di Caprio?"

Leo groaned. "My parents were in an artsy phase." And he was adopted but there was no need to get into that, either. He held out his left hand. "Nice to meet you, I guess."

Raph glanced at the hand, then switched to his left to give a firm shake. "Yeah, sure thing. Ya comin runnin' or not 'cause you're digging into my time, here."

Finally a small smile graced his face since he moved into the neighborhood. Maybe it won't be so bad here, after all.


	2. My pet, Fearless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Commission fic for Sakycchan! How Leo and Raph get together in a Human AU setting. Again, this is tame, no kissing here! Less tame because Raph has a potty mouth.

Leonardo the Artist, not the actor or Spartan Greek hero. Raph kept that in mind as he thought about his new friend. He wasn't intimidated by Raph which was a bonus. And when he threw that sly comment out there, Leo wasn't embarrassed that the phrase came out of Raph's mouth and that Leo was straight, he'd been embarrassed by the fact that he believed that Raph outed him.

A grin curled up on the young man's face as he continued to beat the snot out of the little punching bag. His hands were on autopilot which allowed him to think about the past three days. Leo was from the mid-west. He'd just finished a Criminal Justice degree and was planning on putting it to good use in the Academy that was located in town. Raph had to admit that the guy wasn't bad to look at. Those ice blue eyes gave the impression that Leo was piercing your soul. And there was something about him that screamed 'watch out!' A balance, a grace was there that was the biggest tip off to any other fellow warrior. Raph knew he was a fighter of some sort, but what discipline he'd yet to find out. Leo had been adopted by a Japanese couple who believed they were sterile. Six years after adopting Leo, they had Michelangelo (seriously! With the art theme again?) Raph had asked if they were planning a third and naming him David or something. He didn't like Leo's expression after that.

The bell to the training room's front door rang and Raph turned his head to look who walked through. Holy _hell_. He watched in stunned silence as Leo turned to the front desk and murmured to Steve about something. A finger pointed back to the Help Wanted sign that was in the window. Raph already knew that Steve made his decision-he hadn't been around the lug for nearly all his life to not know what his old man's buddy was thinking. The answer was going to be no. Leo just didn't fit the profile. Hell, he was in a button down with slacks and shined up shoes! All of that hid the toned, gymnastic style muscle that wrapped tightly around the guy's arms and legs. (No, Raph hadn't been paying attention when they started jogging together. Nope. No way.)

"Aw, come on, Steve!" Raph seemed to appear out of nowhere, dropping a sweaty arm over Leo's shoulders to keep him reigned in. "When was the last time some sucker came in looking for a job, eh? Two months ago?"

Steve's eyes narrowed against Raph's grinning face. The other newcomer seemed to know the most volatile fighter in the business but had taken surprise to the outburst. "What's he to you?"

"We're neighbors. Leo here just moved into the same building I'm in. Give the kid a break, will ya? He's tryin' to make it big!" Raph's grin was as big as his face while he ignored the shocked and slightly irritated expression on Leo's face.

"I'm not a child," Leonardo corrected softly, fighting to keep his expression level. "I think with our last discussion, I'm older than you by a couple months."

"Technicalities."

Steve jabbed a thumb in Raphael's direction. "You're really this asshole's neighbor? And you're _okay_ with this?"

Leo tried to keep his face blank but the extra squeeze from Raph's arm was making it difficult to keep his composure. "Why wouldn't I be? Raphael doesn't seem that bad." Which was his polite way of saying there were worse jerks out there. Raph had a propensity to get under his skin but it wasn't always to irritate him. There were other, more dangerous reasons why Raphael got to him. "What does he do here? Wipe down the equipment for everyone else?" That remark earned a hard shove from his friend and Leo's face remain impassive as he noticed Raph's dangerous glare. Since when did he _like_ that look aimed in his direction and enjoy the shiver it made?

"Watch it there, fearless."

Steve's eyebrows shot up at the nick name. "You've named him already?"

"Uh, I'm not a pet?"

"Steve, let me tell you something. This guy _is_ fearless. He stood up to me with his feathers all akimbo, eyes spitting ice in my direction. And he doesn't back down."

"Well..." The older man behind the counter seemed to consider Leo in a new light, his word melting into a hum. "If he can put up with you, then maybe he's worth a shot."

Leo didn't know how to take that yet. For now he decided to go with the job. It wasn't much, just entry level and front desk work, but at least it was something. The added bonus to that was he would be around Raphael more. While he didn't go after the position for that reason, it was a nice bonus. Steve did the grand tour of the gym and the equipment, ending back at the front desk. "Start tomorrow? I'll have all the paperwork ready for you."

"Yes, sir. Thank you for this opportunity."

"Well, shit. If you can tolerate Numnutz there, then you should do fine. He's chased off the last three assistants with his attitude." Steve sighed, scratching at his long ponytail. "He's a good kid. Just a rough life." His eyes lingered back to Raphael and him rough housing with some other members of the ... gym? Club? This wasn't a normal fitness facility. It looked more like a cross between a boxing ring and gym.

"I take it you know him well?" Leo's eyes lingered on Raph for longer than what was polite and had to force himself to look at Steve.

"His whole life. His father and I started this place, partnered together. This is Raphie's home." Steve's eyes moved back to Leo. "Lost his old man a couple years back. He re-enlisted and the last tour was an EID."

"I'm so sorry." To lose any parent especially a father at such a young age had to have been devestating. Leo made a mental note to call his family that night and see how they were doing. 

"Yeah, well, shit happens and there ain't nothin' you can do about it. Ya just got to move on, that's all." Steve cracked a slight smile but Leo already noticed that this man missed his best friend. The topic was changed as Raph came back to drag Leo away to meet the other fighters. 

"Time to meet the home boys, fearless."

"You've _got_ to stop calling me that." Regardless of Leo's protests, he followed the other towards the boxing ring, still grumbling about that stupid nick name. All of Raph's friends seemed casual enough, friendly enough, and cool towards the new employee of their establishment. 

"Just a towel boy, eh?" asked the one called Bobby. "Nothing else?"

Raph simply grinned. "What are ya looking for, a fight? Shit, man, get your testosterone down, will ya?"

"I'm not going to fight anyone," Leo finally announced, shaking his head.

"Not like his old man has a dojo or anything," Raph allowed that part to slip out which earned a glare from his neighbor friend and interested stares from the others.

"Oh yeah?" another guy, slight and Hispanic, came in. "What discipline?"

"It...doesn't matter." Thinking were starting to get a little weird for him. He didn't want to fight and he certainly didn't want to spar. The conditions for this didn't feel right to Leo. "I'm not fighting you guys."

"Just askin'. Hey, Raph, you think it's Judo?"

"Doesn't matter what it is, you're still floored by any of it."

"Gonna make you eat your words, Psycho."

"Bring it, cocksucker." Raph was already pulling away from Leo to leap into the ring. The vulgar language was not Leo's favorite, but to watch Raphael in his element? Bliss. He still couldn't figure out if they were fighting over him or if Raphael was showing off but Leo certainly was enjoying it. The power behind all of the man's movements was taking his breath away a little at a time. What would it feel like if Raph surrounded him with those arms and crushed him close? Leo turned away suddenly, hoping the blush on his face wasn't too telling. Why the hell was he thinking these thoughts about his neighbor? His ridiculously _hot_ neighbor? It had to have been his age. He was aching for something he was convinced was forbidden and chose to redirect himself by familiarizing himself with the building and equipment.

Raph noticed Leo turning away and he frowned. He thought he caught that expression of want from the other guy. When Leo left, his partner managed to sock him in the jaw, making Raph lash out with double the force he originally intended to use. "Hey!"

"Sor-ry," Raph was busy trying to figure Leo out. He was _sure_ that the guy was into him, but he turned away when the fight was getting interesting? Hell, he hadn't even gotten to the wrestling moves yet! Moves he was certain was going to make Leo consider getting up into this ring and push Juan out of the way. Instead he just walked away? Raph finished the fight quickly, his face in a scowl as he tried to puzzle out what just happened.


	3. Moonlighting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo learns the reason why Raphael beats himself up once a week.

It was happening again. In the two months Leo had been here, he knew the routine. Once a week (but never on the weeks Raph had an 'official' tournament) he came home late and loud enough to wake the whole complex. Leo's apartment was directly below Raphael's and once again he was privy to whatever was going on. Usually there was yelling, cursing, pounding around like a herd of elephants was doing the two-step up there. Then came Raph's voice, insisting he was fine, he wasn't going to no hospital, blah blah blah. It worried Leo but he knew it wasn't his place to go up there or say anything. Then Raph insisted that 'he' needed to be called before he died.

That was it.

Rolling out of bed, making certain that his sleeping pants weren't too wrinkled, he padded up to the ground floor, heading towards Raphael's door. It had been left open by his friends and they both seemed to have a problem getting Raph at least on the couch. Leo's eyes widened as he saw Raph's broken and bloodied face, shoulder lifeless at his side and the unfocused, rolling eyes was enough. This was enough.

"Go call whomever he wants you to call," Leo announced, making Bobby and Juan jump and swerve. They hadn't realized the door was left open and thusly never heard him walk in. "Raphael--"

"Leo! When the two of you get here?" Raph tried for cheerfulness but it was clear that it was painful. 

Who knew that the brash fighter was prone to illegal fighting? "Lie back down." Leonardo wasn't going to take Raph's shit tonight. He'd heard too much for too long. If he was surprised that Raph was listening to him, it certainly didn't show on his face. "Moving's only going to make it worse and that shoulder needs to be put back in."

"What are ya, his doctor now?" Juan started. 

Leo turned to stare at the hispanic, his eyes shooting sparks. "Do _you_ know how to put in a joint properly?"

"Do you?"

"Yes."

That shut everyone up. The mild mannered 'towel-boy' knew some medical mojo? Raph watched on with squinty eyes, breathing hard at the same time. Leo ignored the other stares and focused on Raph. Poor Raph. The _asshole_ who let himself get beaten like this. "Is the money that good?" Leo muttered as he slowly helped the man up, propping him up before even running his fingers over the shoulder joint.

"Don' matter," Raph gasped.

"Bragging rights?"

"Don't need that shit." He sucked in a sharp breath as Leo tried to move the joint. He stopped immediately.

"Didn't Raph say you were supposed to call someone?" Leo assumed it was Steve.

"He's still on shift." Juan responded a little lamely. 

"And? He can't leave with a note for a few minutes?"

Both Juan and Bobby turned to look at each other while Leo ignored them again, moving his fingers over Raph and then pushing sharply here and there. All that came from the fighter were soft grunts and then an open look of surprise as the pain suddenly eased. It was still there, but managable. Dark eyes shifted to watch Leo who was completely focused on his work. "What is that?"

"Pressure points? You fight MMA and you don't know pressure points?" Leo's voice was soft and amused as he worked on easing Raphael's pain first before causing it again. "No wonder you keep getting your rear handed to you."

"So teach me."

He paused for a moment, thinking about the request while outwardly it seemed as if Leo was tracking another set of nerves to push on. "Why do you do this to yourself?" he asked quietly, hoping it was soft enough so that Raph's friends didn't hear. "Why this?"

There was another soft groan from Raph that was supposed to be a sigh. "You'll see."

"Slash." Bobby supplied as he ignored Raph's glare. "His ex."

Leo's eyes flew up. "You're fighting for your _ex?_ " Well. There was a very good reason right now not to think about how warm and inviting Raph's skin and muscles were. 

"Nah, against him, man. For money."

"Bobby--"

"Don't you 'Bobby,' me, Raph! He's gonna kill you if you keep this up!" Clearly his friends were upset that Raphael was doing these unauthorized fights. What Leo had missed was the look exchanged between the two behind his back. Maybe, just maybe if they got Leo on his side, Raph would stop. "The money ain't worth it."

Suddenly too tired to look at anyone, Raphael closed his eyes. "It ain't about the money."

Leo rested his hand against Raph's good shoulder, forcing him gently to look at him. "If it's not about the money, then what is it about?"

"If my stupid friends just _called_ , you'd find the fuck out!"

Leo found out about an hour later after he had helped pop Raph's shoulder back in and bound his arm to his chest to keep it immobile. Bobby and Juan were amazed that Leo knew what he did and wouldn't stop asking questions. They didn't stop until the door opened again to admit one more person. Leo's back was to the front door so he didn't know who had entered but instinctively he tensed up, preparing to fight. It was then he heard a deep sigh.

"What the hell have you gotten yourself into now?"

Raph had been quiet since Leo popped in his joint but now at the sound of the voice, he tried for a grin. "Don-nie~"

"Don't you 'Donnie' me. Look at you!" Leo turned to see a taller, slender version of Raph coming up to him with an irritated glare in his eye. "You dragged me out of work for this?" The other man spared Leo a look, taking note that the guy wasn't in Raph's usual posse. The tall man's eyes narrowed at the sight of Raph's shoulder. "You popped it out again."

"I did not intentio--"

The other lifted up his hand, tutting him. "The hell you did. If you didn't fight like this outside of the regulations, you wouldn't be in this condition." Now he drew his attention to Leo. "Did you do this?"

Not knowing who this person was in relation to Raphael, he nodded, looking torn between if he should put himself between Donnie and Raph or not. "Yes. I've... had some training--"

Don snorted, shaking his head. "I'll be the judge of that." He dismissed Leo with his actions, moving in to check on Raph's injuries. "Who's the new guy?"

"My neighbor. Do ya have to talk so loud?"

"This is my hangover voice. Don't like it? Don't get hit in the head." There were a few minutes of silence. Don then turned to see that Juan and Bobby had left, but Leo remained, standing close by, waiting. "I'm Raphael's brother, Don."

There was a curt, polite nod from Leo. "I'm Leonardo."

"A pleasure. You don't hear many Leonardo's, these days. Leonard's, yes." Donnie went back to muttering something about names as he flipped out a penlight to flash in front of Raph's eyes. "Typical injuries. Nothing you won't heal from, fortunately." Donnie stood up with a sigh, looking at the hamburger that was Raph's face for the time being. "Your brain is a lost cause, though. I saw clean through your ears." The joke was delivered with such seriousness that Raph frowned in concern, thinking it was true.

Then a lopsided grin broke out. "There's money for ya."

"Look, I _told_ you, Dad's pen--"

"There ain't been no pension for two years now. Mom took it."

Oh. _OH._ Leo suddenly felt as if he was invading a personal discussion and cleared his throat. "Ah-I think I should be going. You'll want your privacy." Don was Raph's brother. Of course he was! The similarities were amazing. But he shouldn't be listening to this at all.

Donnie had forgotten all about Leo and stared at his brother instead. "No. That's not true. My schooling's been funded consistently since--"

"By me. Ever since she booked out, I've been doin' this to make certain you finish, Don." Raph's eyes closed as he waited for his brother to process this. "This family don' need no more drop outs."

"Shut up." Donnie sat on the couch beside Raph, looking hard at his brother's bruised face. "You're just saying that. T-to get out of sitting on my bad side. You're _not_ a failure." He reached out for his injured brother's hand when Raph lifted it. "R-raph. You have _got_ to stop this. This isn't good for your health. I can get loans, you kn--"

"No. I'll sell my half of the club before you put yourself in debt, Doc."

Leo still hadn't left the apartment even though his instincts were saying he should have. He shouldn't be privy to this at _all_ , yet here he was, witnessing a private moment between brothers. Despite all of Raphael's gruff behavior, seeing this side of him was special.

"I'm not a doctor yet, Raph."

"Sure yer are, Donnie-boy. You keep me movin'."

"I'm afraid I have to concede to your friend here," Donnie's dark eyes lifted up to acknowledge Leo who was still there. "And I think you're in good hands. He did a decent patch up job, and I _really_ need to get back to the hospital. If you keep eating into my residency, no amount of money will help me." 

Leo straightened a bit, giving Don a nod. "I can keep an eye on him. It's not like I'm going to get any sleep anytime soon."

Donnie continued to give Leo instructions on how to monitor Raph's concussion as well as give him his number. "I know he's in good hands. Thanks, Leonardo."

"It's really no problem, Donald. I'll do what I can to keep him out of trouble."

Donnie smirked a bit then, shaking his head. "Ah, not Donald. It's Donatello, but I prefer Don or Donnie."

That made Leo's brow arch. "Like Donatello the artist?"

"Nope. Like the horse riding tall boot." Donnie snickered, already closing the door behind him to leave Raph and Leo alone.

"The tall boot?" What a weird thing to name a child by. His frosty eyes moved back to Raph, gaze warming as he saw Raph peeking at him through one swollen eyelid.

"He's messin with ya." Raph grunted, sighing softly. "But those are really expensive boots."

Leo squatted down to Raph's level, being bold enough to run the backs of his knuckles down the unbruised cheek Raph had. "What you're doing for your brother is very noble." Leo murmured softly. "But I think if it came down to choosing his brother over his education...Family is more important."

Raphael grunted softly, unable to smile without pain. "You gettin' soft?"

"I kind of like the notion that family is important. Didn't realize it was a sign of weakness."

"But you moved away."

"A means to an end. The best academy is here, so here I will make the sacrifice."

Raph was quiet for a minute, watching Leo take in his injuries. "I'm actually glad you moved in here, Fearless."

"Now who's getting soft?" But Leo smiled, standing up. "I'll make some tea and get a steak for your face. I think there's enough heat there to cook it to medium rare."


	4. Annoying Little Brothers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mikey comes to visit his big brother.
> 
> Cue in innuendo, sappiness and romance denial

He hadn't seen his little brother in months and the fact that Mikey was coming to visit before going to the state school was something that put a smile to Leo's face. It was also something that Raph noticed quite often and he never missed a chance to watch Leo, waiting for a moment to see that dopey grin. He didn't know what it was, but hell if that smile didn't make something in his chest flutter a bit.

"So what's her name?"

"Huh?" Side tracked from folding laundry, he looked up to Raph. "Who's her name?"

"Yeah. Ya got that sappy, I'm in love face on." Raph grinned even more when a sock was thrown at his face. "No? Not a girl? Is it a _guy?_ "

"You're horrible." There was no bite to the remark while Leo continued to work. "I told you my brother was coming to visit soon."

"Then stop looking like some lovesick teen! Yer creepin' everyone out."

"It's just you and me, Raph. Why, would you rather I look like this when I think about you?" Realizing what he just said, Leo flushed, wide eyes turning resolutely back to his work. Hell, did he _really_ look like this when he thought about Raph? And did the fighter really want that to happen? He could feel Raphael get closer to him and the mere presence made him shiver. What in the world was he going to do? For weeks now he was hoping that Raph would kiss him but the young man was too shy himself to actually instigate it. Leo kept chastizing himself for not being more assertive. At this point he was going to lose his chance, no matter how much time they spent together.

"Yeah. I do." The warm, gravelly sound of Raph's voice was _right_ by his ear and was that a _lip_ he felt on the lobe?! Leo wanted to turn quickly but the rest of him felt like he was moving in molasses, eyes shifting wide and moving to look at Raph's smirk. Did Raph want Leo to think about him like that? _Did Leo just admit to thinking about Raphael **like that**_?! Was he going to get kissed now? Oh yes, please-- "I definitely could get used to that look on yer face when you think of me like that." This was definitely the moment! Raph's dark eyes were boring into him and his heated, overwhelming presence was intoxicating. Leo noted the flick of Raph's eyes to his lips and he unconsciously licked them, longing for the press of mouth against mouth--

"DUDES! MY VIRGIN EYES DON'T NEED TO SEE ANY OF THAT!!"

"Who the fuc-" Raph swerved around, snarling as he moved himself between the intruder and Leo. Whoever _dared_ interrupt them had better have a good excuse for bothering them.

"Mikey!" Leo was grinning, moving away from behind Raphael to rush towards the smaller Japanese kid who was giggling at them. "You were supposed to call!" Awkward moment forgotten, Leonardo captured the teen in a bear hug.

"What's the fun in surprising you if I tell you I'm going to surprise you?" The younger brother clung to Leo just as tightly, grinning from ear to ear in the process. "And it looks like you might be surprising me? Who's the hot dude?"

Raph listened to the conversation, eyes narrowing as he heard Mikey's question. It was a good question, actually. What _were_ they to each other? Surely there was enough chemistry between them but as for anything physical there was nothing. But Leo's happy, joyful face was enough to give the kid some slack. "Mikey, this is my...friend," hell, even Leo didn't know what to make of them yet! "Raphael Torres." At least Leo had the presence to look unconvinced that he wanted to call Raphael just a friend. "And Raph, this is my bro, Michelangelo."

"Tell me you have a hot sister named Lavinia! That would be so awesome!" Mikey leaned out to offer his hand to the grumpy guy. "Nice to meet you! You haven't gotten into my brother's pants yet, have you?"

"M-MIKEY!!"

Mikey didn't seem to hear Leo sputtering. "We pinkie promised that I get to approve of Leo's next love interest because of the last one."

"Last one?"

"It's nothing!" Leo finally burst, looking about as red as Raph's fighting shorts. "Mikey, let's get you se--"

"Oh my GOD, it was the worst break up ever! His poor little heart was shattered into a million pie--"

"Mikey, that's _enough_."

"He didn't eat for three weeks he was moping about so badly! Mom even went to make his favorite foods and he turned his nose up--"

Leo grit his teeth. " _Michel-angelo!_ "

Raphael had to laugh. "So Leo _does_ have emotions other than 'stone wall!' good to know!" He walked out of the laundry room, slapping Mikey's shoulder. "I'll let you guys catch up. See ya at work tomorrow, Leo?"

At least he couldn't be embarrassed any more today. "Yeah, Raph. See you tomorrow." He gave his friend a half wave before Mikey was on him again.

"You two _work_ together?! And you haven't told me one thing about him?"

"Because you'd start acting like this, Mikey. Seriously? You just had to go and bring up--"

"You mean _you_ haven't? You can't _do_ that, dude! He's totally into you and you can't just do that to him!"

"How do you know that? You just met him!"

"Oh, I know, bro. I _know_ "

 

The next day Leo brought Mikey into work with him on the premise to introduce him to the club and then hopefully occupy him with some rope. The best laid plans were thrown out the window. "Whoa, dude! You work _here?!_ "

"It's not that fancy." Leo started, watching how Mikey went from place to place, touching this and that and all of it happened with a grin of wonder on his face. "It's a gym."

"No! It's more than that!" Mikey skidded back to Leo and gestured with his hands. "It's _magical_. Like you found the place where Leprechauns are born!"

"Ya didn't feed him caffeine this morning, did ya?" Raph groused as he came out of the locker room, mock glaring at Mikey.

"I fear for the world if Mikey drank coffee," Leo responded dryly, taking a moment to look Raph up and down. "Sorry I couldn't make our run session this morning."

Raphael waved it off, already heading to the practice cage. "Don't sweat it. How often do you see your brother?"

"You two _run_ together?!" Michelangelo was instantly attracted to the mystery that was between his brother and the grouchy Raphael. "This is more serious than I thought! Are you sure--"

" _Michelangelo._ " Leo toned, glaring at his brother.

"I got it! Privacy. Sure. But still, I didn't approve of him _yet_ , big bro~" And with that Mikey was already following Raph like a happy, bouncy golden retriever. "So you practice MMA. What do you use?"

"You some sort of expert on this...how?"

Mikey shrugged, bouncing around a bit on the mat as he watched Raphael with a gleam in his eye. "I think I might know something or other. Did Leo tell you Dad has--"

"Yeah. Your old man runs a dojo."

Mikey's grin widened. "He show you any of his signature moves?"

That made Raph pause and turn his head towards his hopefully potential boyfriend, brow quirking up as he heard the long-suffering sigh and watched Leo run his hand down his face. "No. He ain't been in the ring with me."

"Then you've stayed out of his pants! Excellent!" With that statement, Michelangelo cracked his knuckles. "Then let's _dance_."

 

A crowd formed in thirty seconds to watch the impromptu fight. Raph's eyes were narrowed in concentration, jaw tightening as he was subjected to Mikey's style of fighting: Taunt and jab.

"Oh yeah, old man! Ya gonna beat the Mikester? You gonna be quick? Oh-oh! ~ You got to be quicker than that~" Michelangelo was dancing and dodging around Raph, sliding away from Raph's powerful strikes. Leo kept to the ropes, eyes trained on his brother as he watched the spar. He actually forced himself to watch MIkey because watching Raph wouldn't help with his concentration at all.

"Wing Chun?" Bobby asked Leo after a minute. The young man nodded. "He's _good_."

"Take it easy on him," Leo warned without indicating who he was speaking to. 

"I'll save some for you!" Mikey winked in Leo's direction which made the brother groan. This couldn't possibly be good.

"Hold still you little runt!" Frustrated, Raph charged after Michelangelo, causing the teen to hoot and run around in circles while yelling his head off.

"Leo! Come save your most adorable baby brother!"

"Don't start what you can't finish!" Leo taunted back. So far Mikey was okay even though Raph looked like he was going to blow a gasket. While amusing, Leo didn't want him too angry, either. Raph had a temper and he wasn't keen on Mikey pushing all of Raph's buttons. There finally came a point and Leo slipped his shoes and socks off, making every head turn towards him. Ignoring the looks, he went through the ropes to where Raph had Mikey pinned, looking as if he was going to pummel the teen. Just before a punch could be landed, Leo blocked it, drawing Raph from his focused rage.

"I _knew_ you'd come and save me!"

All of Leo's attention was on Raphael. He had blocked the strike and their forearms were still connected. Raph still looked like a dragon, breathing fire as his temper burned more than it should. Leo could feel the heat radiating off him and the vague awareness of people watching kept him from pouncing on the MMA fighter. 

"You brought your A-game?" Raph grinned, instantly liking the fierce expression on Leo's face. "Aw, I've been waitin' for this for a while, Fearless."

Leo's eyes narrowed and he shifted his hand slightly. "Bring it, Psycho."

The pair exploded in a flurry of movements with Leo matching Raph's maneuvers effortlessly. Mikey was grinning from ear to ear, easing outside of the ring and cheering both and neither of them on. And the crowd gathered ever closer, placing bets and also cheering them on. It was to the point where Steve was lured out of his office to watch. His jaw dropped when he saw just who Raph was fighting with. "Is that--"

"Who the hell knew that the nerd had it in him?" Bobby was cackling, still cheering Raphael on. "This is totally awesome! Look at him go! Beat the shit out of him, Raphie!"

Steve looked to the teen. "Who are you?"

"Me? I'm Mikey! Leo's bro!" Mikey stuck out his hand towards Steve while still trying to keep an eye on the fight. 

"You knew he was capable of this?"

"What, this?" Mikey looked at Leo as he zipped under Raph's defenses and strike a point inducing hit. "GO LEO!!!!" Then he remembered he was supposed to answer the guy's question. "I said I was his bro, dude! Of course I know Leo can do this! He's Dad's top instructor at the dojo!"

"If that's the case, then why the hell is he here in his hole of a town at the blasted god forsaken police academy?"

At that moment Mikey's face turned into an easy smile that clearly showed his hero worship for his older brother. "Because that's where his heart lies. He wants to help people."

"There are better ways than becoming a damn cop."

The conversation wasn't heard by the two fighters. They were completely focused on each other and enjoying every moment of it. Leo was quick and agile and adapted to the sudden changes in Raphael's fighting styles like water moving over a dry, arid terrain. And Raph wasn't certain if he should be thrilled or pissed by Leo's capabilities. Fortunately for the MMA fighter, he had more stamina. With a sneaky sweep he had Leo on his back, pinning him to the floor. They were both gasping for breath with Leo shooting icy sparks up into Raph's dark eyes. 

"I like ya under me," Raph panted, his voice quiet and gravelly in the public-private moment between them.

"Yeah?" Leo took in another breath, consciously forcing himself not to move underneath Raph. But oh, how he wanted to! "I could kiss you, right now," the blue eyed brother growled under his breath.

"Not gonna in front of the fans?" Raph teased, tilting his head a bit.

"Not in front of my brother." 

Suddenly the weight was off him and Raph was offering Leo a hand up. "Good match, Fearless. I'd like to do that again sometime. It's nice to get the blood flowing."


	5. Fight! Fight! Fight!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slowly catching up to my writing obligations!

He knew he was going to have to get over it eventually. The crowds were a weakness of his, a concept of humanity that threw him out of sorts. Leo was one for quiet, independent serenity. Being a part of the crowd made him feel exposed and vulnerable. Give him the shadows and Leo became one of them. The way he melted into the darkness was unnerving and his mother always commented that Leo was a shadow-child. Michelangelo was the opposite, always drawing Leo into the sun lest he lose himself to darkness. The biggest worry Mikey had about his older brother was the fact that he wasn't _here_ with him to make certain that Leo didn't fall too far as he was apt to do. That was why Mikey begged to go see an MMA fight.

It's wasn't like Raph couldn't get the tickets. And the thought of having a VIP box was horrible. Mikey wanted to be around people! He needed Leo around people, too! So it was front row tickets on Raph's side of the ring. The kid was in his _glory_ , screaming and putting on a show of his own as other fighters from the gym came up first. It was learned there that Bobby and Juan had 'show names' so to speak. They were more of an entertainment team like WWE. "Bebop and Rocksteady!" The crowd went _wild_ for them. 

Leonardo mostly kept to himself, seated and quiet as Mikey cheered loud enough for both of them. He did applause and throw an encouraging smile out for the people he knew. Internally, he was picking apart the battles, determining good points and others that needed improvement. Ever the tactician, he wondered if Steve would let him suggest some pointers to the rest of the team. Mikey sneaked glances at his brother here and there, grinning like he won the lottery when Leo was in his contemplation mode. The teen considered it a win. Leo wasn't complaining about being here and he wasn't scanning the crowd as if he were waiting for the boogey man to show up. This was as relaxed as the guy got in a public situation.

When the announcer called Raph, Leo's expression changed completely-at least those who knew him saw it. He paid attention, eyes lit up and heel steadily thrummed on the beer soaked floor. Mikey saw all the signs, grinning his head off. He leaned over towards his excited brother, eying Raph as he performed a little pump up show to get his fans going. "If he wins, I'll put a sock on your door so you can jump him."

"Oh, yea--what?!" Leo had been half listening and recalled at the last moment that the one whispering the naughty suggestion to him was his own _brother_! "Mikey!"

"What?" The teen was laughing, enjoying the incredulous expression on Leo's face. "Dude, you're practically drooling over him! Why haven't you done this sooner?"

"This is not the place for this kind of conversation, Mikey." But Leo was blushing, trying to concentrate on the 'Nightwatcher.' 

"See, this is how it's going to go down. You're going to watch your boyfriend--"

"He's not my boyfriend."

"Right. So you're going to watch your _boy_ friend-" Michelangelo ignored Leo's sigh, "do all these amazing things with his body, imagining that he was doing those things to _you_ \--"

"Shut. _Up._ " Leo whispered harshly, glaring at his little brother as a huge guy on Mikey's left started paying attention to him. "This is completely inappropriate!"

"I haven't seen you this happy since.... You know." Mikey nudged Leo's shoulder a bit, deciding to back off slightly. "And I want my big bro happy. Does he make you happy, Leo?"

Ice blue eyes turned back to Raph just as the first bell started and the rush of cheers overwhelmed the sound of fists against flesh. "Yeah. I think he does."

"Then when he wins the match? Go bone his brains out." Mikey sat back as he saw the crease in Leo's brow. "Or have him bone yours out--I don't know what side you like!" Then he leaned forward. "Or do you just switch it up whenever you want?"

"I swear to _God_ , Mikey--" At first Leo looked pissed but then his face smoothed out into a smile. "So you approve?"

"Hells to the yes I do!" And the teen turned back to the fight, ignoring how Leo looked warmly at him. "Just shut up and watch your boyfriend, will ya?" Man, the guy beside him was annoying. Even Mikey could sense the man invading their personal conversation. He tossed the stranger a glance before settling in closer towards Leo. "People around here have no concept of personal space, dude."

"You were looking for personal space?" Leo arched up a brow, eyes locked on Raph throwing punches and twisting away from kicks. A small smile peeked through his stoic expression when he saw one of the moves he taught Raph be used against the opponent with decent success. "You shouldn't have come to an MMA fight."

The rest happened in the blink of an eye. Raph caught Leo's eye and then slid over to look at his brother. Rage and disbelief flashed across his face and he headed towards the cage fencing, pointing and opening his mouth to say something just before a fist met his jaw, sending the fighter down with a rush of cheers and boos swarming up to Leo's ears. He turned to his brother just to see Mikey flailing with a giant maw of a hand over his face and throat, the huge guy who had been paying a little too much attention to them moving away from Leo in the process.

Raph had a fight to finish if it wasn't over already. Leo glanced back up to the ring, catching the panicked brown eyes and gave a slight nod. A moment later he disappeared into the crowd, tailing his little brother. The man was loud which was good for Leo. He could follow silently without even needing to change. That and Mikey was not a quiet victim. The kid was a howling and carrying on something fierce, making it more difficult for him to be taken with the way he was clinging to the man's arms and body. But why would this guy take his little brother? And where were they going? Leo worked to keep himself out of sight, following as Mikey just screamed out various locations. He had to smile a bit at that. It meant that Mikey knew Leo wouldn't leave him to suffer and Mikey still didn't know if Leo was tailing them. Coming to the Desert Horizons Park, the large man dragged Mikey inside and Leo lingered, deciding to wait and see what was happening.

"What the hell, dude!?" Mikey was still yelling at the top of his lungs, glaring up at the man. "Who the hell are you to just _drag_ me away like that?!"

"Because you're bait," he finally answered, crossing his arms over his chest.

Michelangelo blinked at him, slowly getting up. "Why the heck am I always bait? Bait for who? My brother?"

"Yes." The man paused. "And Raphael. He needs to learn that he's mine."

Leonardo had mentioned something about Raphael's past and suddenly it clicked. The teen's eyes bugged out of his head. " _Slash?_ "

"So you've heard of me, eh? Everything was going just fine until your brother showed up. Now Raphie has this thought in his head that he can do better. _Be_ better! Ha! He can't do better than me and he's gonna learn the hard way."

Michelangelo took stock of his surroundings. It looked like they were in the bottom part of a skating park and his eyes widened as people started to gather around with spot lights, calling out in jeers as they shone the lights down to them. "What, so he fights you and the prize is me?"

"If he gives a shit about your brother, he will."

"He doesn't have to." Leo parted through the people, dropping down into the pit as the crowd roared. "I can take care of my brother well enough on my own, thank you."

Slash smirked, turning to face Leo and stare back into the ice blue eyes. "Look at that. Two pieces of meat to get him out of here."

"You don't _own_ Raph, Slash," Leo declared, his glare unwavering as he walked towards Slash and Mikey. "You okay, Mikey?"

"Yeah." Michelangelo muttered, keeping his eye on his captor as he walked to Leo. "You want help taking him down?"

"I think I got this."

" _You,_ little man, are taking me down?" It seemed almost comical with the way Slash laughed. "Please. I need to be ready for the MMA failure. I don't want to hurt you too much, now."

"I'll make certain your doctor is Torres," Leo responded smoothly, letting the gathering crowd OOOOOOOOOH in response. "I'm sure he'll be more than happy to take care of you after all the times he's had to put Raphael back together again after dealing with you."

"Your scrawnier than he is," Slash declared, being so bold as to poke Leo's chest.

Leo only stepped back enough to gather his balance. "Underestimating your enemy is your first mistake." There was a flurry of movement from the young man and Slash staggered back in surprise. "Underestimating _me_ is your second."


	6. UFC

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for change.
> 
> OMG I FINALLY GET THEM TO DO IT! Well, not _IT_ but close enough to _it_. You'll just have to see.

As soon as Leo left to follow Slash and Mikey, Raph went on a berzerker rage. He pummeled his opponent, knocking him out and barely took the time to acknowledge his win before he was zipping out of the cage and leaving the building to find Leo and the others. There was a problem to this plan and that was the fact that they had left nearly fifteen minutes ago with no trail in sight. Breathing hard, still in his red silk boxers and MMA gloves, Raph looked down one side of the busy street and then the other. A few people started calling out to him and Raphael ran, knowing that if he was caught up in a fan crowd now, he'd never find them and who knew what Slash was going to do to them.

Way back when he was a teen, Slash was Spike and a kid like Raph. They both were gay and they formed an alliance first just so they could watch out for each other. Spike wanted to make it big in MMA and convinced Raph to join in as well. Soon their alliance against people who would rather see them 're-programmed' or killed became a friendship. Then the friendship was a relationship. It wasn't until Slash had gone pro and started working hard to gain a title over Raphael that he started to wonder if they were a good fit for each other. The beat downs in the ring were pulled. Every punch was delivered with a vicious kick. Soon it started translating out of the ring and Raphael decided to call it quits. He wasn't anyone's punching bag. The problem with that was Slash needed a punching bag in order to feel in control. Ever since Raph walked away Slash had made certain that Raphael needed to crawl back to him. Donatello's tuition was especially useful for the jilted lover. All that had changed when Leo came into the picture. The young man settled the warrior's spirit, helped him think out of the box to keep Donnie in school without getting himself killed or selling his part of the business he inherited. For that, Raph would be forever grateful to Leo. And he realized now in these fearful moments that he didn't want to continue life without him. Leo made Raphael _want_ to be a better person, to strive for more than just being a punching bag. He deserved MORE than the punching bag life.

He wanted that better life. Come hell or high water.

Leo made Raphael feel more than just his sexual preference, more than just the son of a dead Marine, more than a kid trying to survive in a broken household. More than just a guy trying to claim a UFC title. Now, if he could only _find_ him! Raph had no leads, no direction on where he should go. He looked around helplessly, sucking in the drool that was forming under his mouth guard. 

"Didja hear that guy's holding another fight?" one bystander said to another.

"Yeah? Where? I love watching that idiot pound 'em into the ground!"

"Old skating park in Desert Horizons. Wanna go?"

Raphael sprinted off in the direction of the part, determined to show Slash once and for all he needed to leave this town and him alone. 

 

This was lasting too long. Leo was used to sparring for a good fifteen minutes at times but this had gone on for nearly a half hour. As quick and as nimble as he was, Slash had endurance and a fighter's stamina pitted against him. And each powerful blow was taking out Leo's reserves quicker than he'd like. Michelangelo had dove in to help but now was groaning against one of the skating curves, holding his arm close to his chest with the wrist twisted at an ugly angle. Leo was standing between Slash and Mikey, wavering slightly as he tried to keep his focus on the man before him. There were cheers and jeers above him with the spotlights of lanterns and phone flash lights starting to make his skull pound. He was fervently trying to figure out a way to escape with himself and Mikey in one piece, but without any of the tools he would normally have access to, getting away seemed less of a success.

Leo saw red in the edges of his vision. He wasn't going to last much longer.

A moment later and that red turned into Raphael just as everyone up top cheered. There was a flurry of kicks and punches, Raph bellowing out his rage as his fighting gloves flew off one by one. "Leave. My. People. _ALONE_!" It was what Leo needed to take a few breaths and try and recover. Slash landed a good hit, forcing Raph to stagger back and Leo used it as an opening to dart in, refusing to give Slash a chance to rest. 

Mikey watched on with grit teeth, noticing how well they worked together to push Slash back. "Beat his ass!" 

"Hold still!" Slash grumbled, not liking the two against one scenerio. The people up top all thought it was planned and started betting. "You need to be taught a lesson!" 

"Which one would that be, huh? The lesson I'm not good enough?!" Raphael was screaming for all he was worth, hanging back just long enough to gather himself for another launch. "That I'll never be better? That I don't deserve to be better? I'm _done_ with that school, Slash, and I'm done with _you._ " He rushed in with a howl, only to be thrown back as Slash slammed his fist forward, sending Raphael sprawling back.

Leo. Was. Done.

His own yell was enraged as he surged forward, relentless in his fists and feet, ignoring the shouts from above as he kept going forward, not even easing up as Slash fell backwards. It wasn't until Slash was cowering, trying to cover his bloodied face and bent nose that Leo finally came to himself, seething as he held one fist cocked and ready. "You so much as _look_ at any of my family again? I will end you. You touch my Raph...and I will raise you from the dead to end you again." One final punch knocked Slash out cold, sending another cheer from the crowd up into the night sky. Still unsteady but on his feet, Leo moved to Raph where he had landed. "Raph."

There was a puddle of blood where Raph's head was and Leo crashed to his knees, ignoring the jarring pain in his joints as he bent over Raph. "Raphael!" As much as he wanted to move him, he knew he shouldn't. He couldn't in case there was an injury he didn't know about. Paralizing his friend was not on his list of things to do.

"Didn't know you had it in ya, Fearless," Raph croaked, coughing a few times in the process. "You okay?" He couldn't say much more as he felt lips covering his own in a desperate and deep kiss. Leo pulled away, stroking Raph's cheek with his thumb. "Damn, I needed to almost die for you to finally kiss me?"

"Shut up, Psycho," Leo murmured fondly, dropping another one on Raph's lips. "Enjoy the moment."

"I might not remember this moment. Head injury and all that."

"I'll keep reminding you when you recover."

"You better. I don't wanna forget this."

Mikey cheered on as he watched them kiss again. "Go Team Leo! Ow! Dang, this hurts." His grin was still plastered on his face as he heard sirens in the distance and all the illegal betters started to high tail it out of there. 

 

In the hospital, Donnie worked on Leo and Mikey while another resident was working on Raphael. The ER trauma unit was exceptionally full tonight, not only with the usual rounds of victims but fans and police crowding in small areas, trying to hear the stories the three young men had. Slash was also in the same unit but with a battallion of police surrounding his little pod. There was no way Slash was going to be allowed near the Torres or their friends. 

"Mild concussion," Donnie answered as he put away his pen light. "You're going to feel sick for a while and no driving for a month. If you want, you can get an MRI but since you don't have a history of bashing your brains out, I think you're fine."

"Thanks, Don." Leo smiled slightly, still preferring to keep his eyes out of direct light. "Can I go with Raph for his scan?" 

"You can be wheeled down. I don't want you walking."

"Don't worry, D! I'll make certain he's seated at all times!" Mikey was way too chipper for his own good. Merely suffering from a broken wrist, he was all smiles as he sat beside Leo's triage bed. "Can I put him in one of those funny man jackets? It'll keep him from running a--"

"No." both men responded, glowering at Michelangelo in the process.

"Aw, man. You're no fun."

"I'll keep an eye on him for you." Leo reached over to the young doctor, resting his hand on Don's forearm. 

"Thank you." Donnie smiled warmly. "Now, I need to go and finish charting your files for the police. It looks like not only do they have a case for the assault and kidnapping, but an illegal fighting ring." Which was worrisome. It meant that Raph could be charged as well since he participated in the fights.

"One thing at a time. We'll get through this."

"Yes, we will. Call me if anything changes, Leo."

Within the hour Leo was in a wheelchair beside Raph's moving gurney. Mikey pushed the wheelchair even with the hospital staff so that the pinky fingers that were twined through the bed's bars wouldn't become separated. No one spoke during the trip to the lab and all too soon, they arrived. Mikey and Leo were directed to go into the little office where the other staff members would be staying and Leo stood up carefully to look at Raphael.

"They say you can't have any metal on your person when the test is running." Leo smiled slightly as Raph tried to peer up at him.

"And?"

The young man leaned over to murmur quietly. "You better not have any metal on places I'm looking forward to becoming familiar with in the future."

Raph would have laughed if it didn't hurt so much. "You're an ass."

"Learned from the best. I'll see you on the other side." Unable to properly send Raph off with all of the people around them, Leo simply smiled and rested his hand on Raph's shoulder.

Leo was released the next day from the hospital but Raph needed to stick around for a while longer. It turned out he had a slight skull fracture from his connection with the skating park concrete and with his previous history for head contact injuries, they wanted to make certain the young man had his faculties intact. Raphael was released to Donatello three days later with strict instructions not to participate in any fights for a year. His MMA career was put on hold. No UFC title this year. He didn't seem to mind so much considering Leo could keep his attention. There was also the court proceedings to deal with concerning Slash so the young man had plenty on his plate. For once, he didn't mind too much.


	7. Fearless goes slow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So yesterday (or two days ago, depending on your time zone) it was @sakycchan's birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
> 
> Two Human!Au turtles start to get it on. FINALLY.
> 
> Technically now, the commission trade work is DONE. I'm trying to figure out how to put Saky's pics up here for I am old and feeble. The following chapters are now for fun because WHO WANTS TO SEE THEM GET IT ON?!

Home sweet home. It was even better when Leo was the one who brought him home and bustled about his apartment while Raph relaxed on the couch with a cloth over his eyes. Leo tried to keep the noise to a minimum but there were weeks where Raph was prone to messy fits in his apartment. Apparently his last fit was two weeks before this fight.

Eventually Leo moved to sit on the couch with Raphael, putting two cups on the coffee table. He watched how Raph tried to keep pretenses up, that he was fine and just resting his eyes but he was still breathing rough and there was a tension in the fighter's neck. He moved Raph's feet slowly onto his lap. Working each shoe off, he started to work on the young man's feet, letting his thumbs press deeply into pressure points. In a few minutes Raph was stretching out, relaxed and definitely not in as much pain.

"I don't know how you keep doing that, but don't stop."

Leo hummed softly, watching the bliss fall on Raph's face. "If you know how the body's energy works, it is invaluable."

"Like this?"

"Exactly for situations like this." Leo paused in his ministrations for a moment so he could look at Raph's face. "You worry me."

"You're not the first."

"No." He came up closer, practically crawling up along side of Raph so he could have the other's attention. "You. Worry. Me."

Raphael was able to look into Leo's eyes and not feel sick to his stomach. He gently ran a thumb down Leo's cheek, dragging the corner of his lip down. "Sorry."

Apology was accepted with a soft press of lips against his. Raph couldn't help but sigh and close his eyes, letting Leo direct the kiss as he wanted to. It was nice to let someone else have the control for a change-someone he trusted and that someone who accepted it instead of forced it from him. Leo's lips were warm and a little dry but Raph didn't mind that at all. He wasn't into kissing girls, after all. Leo took his time exploring the contours of Raphael's mouth, even going as far as to flick his own tongue out against the lower half of Raph's lip. It was exciting for the other man to work his way around Raph, to learn what made the man twitch and to discover that a hitch in his breath made his own heart pound. What startled Leo was Raph's sudden movement and a fierce kiss that left him breathless.

"Wait." It was difficult to sound assertive when the body was arching up against another's and the head was getting dizzy. "Raph, hold on."

"Wha--" Raph was a little breathless as he looked down at Leo. Oh, he could get used to that expression. The young man was flushed, eyes at half mast and hand curled around the back of the fighter's neck. "What is it?"

"Well, first," Leo tried to wriggle just a bit out from under Raphael and discovered that the more he moved, the more he pressed his arousal up against Raph's thigh. While that in of itself was feeling really good, it was counter productive to his words. "First you _just_ got home from the hospital. And you're healing from a concussion."

"Yeah, so?"

"The doctors were arguing with you about wearing a helmet for a while."

"I ain't gonna fall off nothin, Leo." _Especially not falling off you,_ came the dirty thought that made him smirk. He rested a little heavily on Leo, enjoying how the trapped cock twitched against his leg. "What's the next issue?"

"I haven't done any of this with a man, before."

One could distinctly hear vinyl being scratched by the record needle with the admission.

"Come again?"

"I'm ah.... I'm a virgin, when it comes to being intimate with a male." Hell, Leo blushed even harder and suddenly looking at Raphael was an impossibility.

This? This was an unexpected bump in the road. Raph could only stare at Leo's downcast eyes, his brain refusing to really work and tell him what this meant. He felt slow on everything, right now. "You sure this is what you want?"

"Yes." That affirmation was met with a near desperate brush of lips to the corner of Raph's mouth and a roll of his body up against Raph's hips. Leo was just as hard and needy, pulling a soft groan from Raph. "Just... slower. Please?"

There was a pause as Raph tried to muddle through what was being said and what was being said silently. "Okay." He eased back as much as he could with the cramped space on the couch. Shifting together on their sides again was a joint effort. "We'll take it your pace, Fearless." 

The relief and affection on Leo's face was priceless. What was even better was the hug Raph received and the soft whisper by his ear. "Thank you."

"Anything." Raph squeezed him back as hard as he dared, nuzzling just a bit into Leo's neck. The man smelled delicious and it was frustrating he couldn't lick that scent off right now. "We could stretch out better on the bed, you know."

That earned him a soft laugh and Leo finally moving to get up. "You need some food."

"Please don't kill me with your cooking, again," Raphael groaned, once again taking up the whole of the couch once Leo vacated. He purposely laid on his back just so that Leo could take notice of the tenting in his pants. 

Leo noticed. In fact his eyes were glued to that fabric covered length for a moment before he looked back to Raph's face. "I'm not going to kill you. I'm just heating up some soup."

"You're gonna burn the whole complex down."

"I am not!"

Raph grinned, opening his eyes. "You're hot when you're angry."

Leo rolled his eyes and walked away so that Raph didn't see his smirk. "You're eating soup, Raphael."

 

Raphael ate his soup (once it cooled down) and was silently pleased that the fire extinguisher wasn't hauled out. After a little more tidying up and mindless watching of the television, Raph was finally ready to call it a night. Leo made certain he could walk to the bedroom and left him to change. A few minutes later Raphael was in bed, slowly easing his way in. Shortly after Leo appeared, leaning up against the door frame. "Tired?"

"Nope." Dark eyes glittered defiance as Leo waltzed in, setting a little pouch down on the dresser. It was then he noted that the young man was dressed in PJs, the kind that some sitcom dad would wear. "What are you all dressed up for, Leo?"

The question made him pause, looking up with bright blue eyes. "Well. The doctor said you had to be monitored closely at home."

Raph started to grin. "Yeah?" 

"Y-yes." The flush was starting on his cheeks and streaked towards his ears and neck. Suddenly Leo was looking anywhere but at Raph's shit-eating grin. "I....I should have asked. I was planning to sleep on the couch, anyway."

"No. Don't sleep on that piece of shit. You'll crick your neck. This is a queen. Get your ass in here."

Leo's eyes locked onto the empty side of the bed before he slowly, cautiously started to crawl in. "You mean this is okay?"

"We're grown adults. Unless you really would feel better if there was a sheet and a pillow wall between us." Raph was still teasing, and he laughed out right when Leo glared at him. "I can keep my hands to myself."

"Okay." Leo slid between the sheets and his eyes widened in surprise. "They're... this is cotton, isn't it?"

"Yep. 1500 count Egyptian cotton. Gotta splurge on something, right?" Raph eased to his side, watching Leo's hand smooth over the pillow case over and over again. "What's the surprise?"

"I didn't think you'd have something this luxurious," he admitted softly, blue eyes flickering back up to Raph's dark brown ones. "I thought you would have gotten whatever was cheapest at the dollar store."

"Nah. I like my sleep." They both fell quiet for a while as they looked at each other. Raph pillowed his head with a pillow and his arm with his wrist and fingers closest to Leo's pillow. Leo's fingers carefully reached out to play with is finger tips, his face looking a little unsure. Finally Raph brought voice to the thoughts. "Gonna kiss me good night, Fearless, or what?" When Leo didn't answer right away, he decided to be a little playful. "Hey. I said I was gonna keep my hands to myself."

"I know," Leo stated softly. "I just don't know if I can." He moved in closer, grazing his mouth up against Raph's in a gentle touch, paused a moment and then completed a kiss, inhaling deeply in the process.

Raphael was convinced he was going to die. Leo's lips were tempting him to do more than just follow the lead. Slender, callused fingers grazed his cheek and then drew a line across his jaw. He wanted to just crush Leo to him, to weigh him down and consume everything he had. Instead he 'played nice,' followed and encouraged, and then he moaned deeply when Leo turned brave and used his tongue. Oh yes, he was definitely going to die a hero. To give Leo the time he needed to explore and discover on his own was going to kill him.

This was different than kissing a girl, than kissing... _her_. Raphael was hard lines and chapped lips, sweaty muscle and a musk that toyed with Leo's senses. This was raw and he took his time, tentatively dipping his toes in the water, so to speak. He knew how to kiss. Hell, he knew how to screw, too. But he wanted to do it _right_ for Raph. When Leo decided to become more aggressive, tingles shot down his spine at Raph's sounds of approval. He shifted to position himself a little above Raph, tongue thrusting in pure abandon through the kiss before he lifted up in a short gasp. His teeth found Raph's jaw, then a perfect, tender spot in his neck. One of Raph's hands gripped his shoulder but didn't move forward to push him. "Keep this up, Fearless, and I'm dragging your hand lower." His voice husked deeply in Leo's ear, bringing him back to the surface a bit.

The thought of touching more than Raph's neck or collar set Leo's nerves on fire and his breath caught. Looking down at Raph he could see just from his face how much Leo affected him. With the heat coming off Raph's body and the not so subtle shift so that Leo could feel that hardness on his thigh, he knew that this was real. It wasn't faked and that Leo was the cause of it. Raph didn't have a shirt on, just sleep pants and he let his fingers trail a bit down the smooth chest. A shiver of smug satisfaction tingled down his nerves. "Will it help you sleep?"

It was difficult to keep up. What was it that Leo just asked? The smirk on the man's face and the way his ice blue eyes glittered through that dusting of black bangs made Raph's brain slow down even more. "Yeah?" Wait, was that the right response? Was he saying yes that a good rub off helped him sleep or that it was okay for Leo to do that to him? Fuck it. He wanted Leo to touch him. Raph grinned, leaning in with a gentle kiss of his own and turned around to nestle up against Leo. "Less awkward the first time," he muttered, making certain to press his ass up against Leo's hard-on. Another wave of want hit him just as he heard the choked sound Leo made. He better get fuckin' medals of honor in his death.

"I can't kiss you like this," Leo pouted against the back to Raph's neck, frowning a bit before nuzzling through the hair. Then he heard something akin to a curse from Raph and he grinned, reaching up first to pull the fighter's hair away before reaching around to rest his hand on Raph's chest. "Guess I'll improvise."

"Cheeky ass," Raph muttered, gasping again as he was assaulted by teeth and tongue on his sensitive neck. "Thought you were taking it slow." A shudder coursed through him as he felt a kiss, then a nip and finally a lick that soothed the sting. " _Fuck._ "

"I am," Leo breathed. When had his voice dropped? He couldn't see Raph's face, but feeling his muscles tense under taught skin as his fingers danced over them was enough. Feeling the light dusting of fur that coaxed him to go lower made him groan and then instead of diving just under the waist band, he rested his hand over the swollen length. The next sound that came from Raph pulled Leo's hips tight up against his ass and the young man swore he saw stars. Raphael was rock hard and warm, beating with the same life as his racing heart. Despite Raphael's growls of impatience, Leo took his time, feeling and squeezing lightly through the fleece before he started to slowly expose the tip. Raphael wasn't wearing underwear and Leo wondered if he slept nude-that that sweats were just for Leo's sake. 

Raphael's skin was silky soft and full of a warmth that made Leo's toes curl. The sounds he was pulling from Raph by just circling his fingertips around the sensitive glans was enough to set fire to Leo's blood. He kept playing a bit, circling and stroking, noting there was a healthy amount of foreskin. Raph cursed at him and Leo decided it was a good thing while he chuckled darkly into Raph's neck. Little by little Leo' got bolder, taking more length into his hand, gracefully stroking Raph as if he were touching his own cock, listening to the rough pants and groans like they were the finest orchestra piece playing just for him. Soon they were both groaning and breathing hard with Leo pressing his hips up against Raph while his hand worked over the hard, dripping cock before him. He was startled briefly by Raph grabbing onto his hip, fingers pressing hard against muscle and skin.

"L-Leo--"

The other man was filled with amazement as he felt Raph start to tense, his whole body shuddering. Leo groaned softly, trying to help Raph's along, hand tightening into a fist and rubbing the foreskin along Raph's shaft fast and tight. The grip on his thigh was exquisite and Leo moaned against the back of Raph's neck as he rocked up against the fighter. He was hyper aware of Raphael, drinking in all the little details from the tremor in his grip to the change in breathing as his body's demands overwhelmed him. Raph swelled once more in the grip of Leo's hand and then began that tell tale pulse just after Raph's breath came out in a rush. Leo rested his teeth on Raph's shoulder, choking as he felt his own orgasm hit him, forcing his hips against Raph. The fighter pushed back with a low hum, soothing the bruising grip on Leo's thigh as he felt the last of his climax get milked out of him with a slowing hand.

Raphael was still breathing hard, eyes shut as he felt the endorphin rush kick in. Vaguely aware of Leo slowly pulling the waist band up and resting his sticky hand on Raph's belly, he moved his hand over Leo's to twine their fingers together. Leo's hand pulled Raph closer as he nuzzled the back of the fighter's neck. One cough rattled him for a moment as things started to settle back to normal.

"Okay back there, Fearless?" Raph gravelled hoarsely, squeezing Leo's fingers. "Need a hand for anything?"

"You're...about a minute too late," Leo responded sheepishly, taking his time to rest.

"Then you'll let me touch you first next time, right?" He felt comfortable in this position, the only thing that would make it more perfect was that he could slide away from the cooling wet spot.

"Yeah." There were several long moments of blissful silence between them, giving Raph the change to doze off. "I was okay?"

"Better than okay." Still half asleep, Raph hugged Leo's hand to his belly. "Awesome, in fact."

There was another whisper that tickled Raph's ear. "I didn't think to bring another set of pajamas."

Raph's initial thought was to tell Leo to forget the pants and just sleep naked but his brain finally kicked in. "There's spares in the top draw."

"Thanks." Leo slipped out of bed and went to change. Too comfortable to move, Raph just slid out of the damp area and bunched part of the sheets to help cover it. A few minutes later he woke long enough to snuggle up against Leo who came back into bed and sigh softly when he felt his mouth kissed gingerly and an arm wrapped around his body again.


	8. Trying to get back to Normal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay. So this one start out with the smex and ends with plot. Switching up the orders, here!

The week had to come to an end. Leo's injuries were less extensive than Raphael's so he was allowed to return to work and the academy much sooner than Raphael was allowed to go. And due to his injuries and pending trials concerning Slash, he was on leave from competative fighting for at least the rest of the year. Raph tried not to dwell on that too much. It was going to happen regardless and worrying about it now wouldn't help things. At least Leo was providing an excellent distraction. 

Once the young man had gotten his feet wet, Raphael quickly learned that he could potentially be in big trouble. Of all things, Leo had perfected sneaky and silent. Who knew what the dark haired, blue eyed man was up to until he was on top of you. In Raph's case, the goal was to be on top of him, kissing him breathless. Since he was still trying to recover from his injuries, he indulged Leo on letting him get what he wanted...About everywhere he wanted, too. There wasn't one part of the apartment that hadn't been christened by Leo's hand down Raph's pants. And that one moment where Leo glanced up at Raph in the shower before sliding down onto his knees? Raph thought he needed all of his hero medals up front. The occasional scrape of teeth could easily be forgiven. That was inexperience showing and as far as Raph was concerned even that had it's own allure. Too unsteady to stand up straight, Raph leaned against the wall as water descended in front of him to wet Leo's hair. The dark head bobbed slow, then quick, causing all of the leg muscles in Raph to tense up. "Fuck, Leo." 

All Leo could do was muffle something when he had Raph's dick in his mouth. He was alternating between sucking and swirling his tongue around him, letting his fingers dance around the man's balls. He could feel Raph's hand tightening in his hair, knowing that he was close and then Leo found himself pressed up against the wall of the shower, mouth covered by Raph's in a deep kiss. They both parted with a gasp. "'M tired of you always getting me off," Raph husked by Leo's ear, letting his hands travel down the young man's sides. "My turn, now."

Leo could only moan at the statement as he felt his heart pick up speed. It'd been so long since he had someone else touch him and yet he was still worried. The last time something like this happened his performance had been lack luster (And that was putting it gently.) Was it going to happen again? The problem was that Leo was not trying hard enough to keep Raph from doing what he wanted. He felt his panic crest and then dissolve as callused fingers touched him, then pulled his length, thumbing the underside. Leo let out a strangled cry, screwing his eyes shut just so he wouldn't see the eventual disappointment in Raph's face. Eventually he would choke up and he was expecting it. Then the ridicule would start. Leo didn't think he could take that from Raphael. Taking it from someone who he thought he loved was bad enough. 

"Hey." That delicious stroking was still on his cock even though it was going so slowly it was more like a comforting caress than a driving pace. Raph's mouth was right by Leo's ear and he took the liberty to flick his tongue against the lobe, forcing a shiver through Leo's body. "Stay with me, Leo." His voice was gruff, but it wasn't out of frustration. It sounded tender even with the heavy twinge of need in it. That alone was enough to make Leo turn his head and crack an eye open to look at him. Raph smiled. "I ain't gonna hurt ya. You know that, right?"

"'Course I do," Leo responded softly, trying for a confident smile. Something odd fluttered in his chest when Raph rested his forehead against his own.

"You don't seem convinced of that, yet." The fighter kissed the corner of Leo's mouth, then gently pulled on his balls, making Leo whine and arch his head back to expose his neck. "Challenge accepted, Fearless."

What? Challenge? Leo's brain was just starting to piece itself back together when he felt warmth envelope his erection. The pieces were convinently scattered away once more as Raphael started to suck on his cock. "Raph!" His hand spasmed then dug deep into the fighter's hair, hoping against hope that he wouldn't leave what he started. The suctioning pressure felt exquisite as fingers continued to tug gently on his sac, making the rest of him twitch. He had to pull in great draughts of air and hold on for dear life as he felt the build and pressure grow. Suddenly he was stuck teetering and Leo forced his eyes open. Glancing down, all he saw was Raph's eyes on him, his mouth open and tongue just flicking at that one drop of precum. A wicked smirk later and Leo cried out as he was engulfed in blessed heat again. He couldn't help it then. The way his hands clung to Raph's hair, how his hips moved without him telling them to do so--he was going to choke him! All that disappeared from his mind as he ruptured, body curling down as he emptied into Raph's triumphant smirk.

Leo barely had time to register what had happened when Raph's mouth was on his again, sharing that fleeting, bitter flavor while the fighter groaned deeply, kissing with the ferociousness of a starving lion. "Turn around," he rasped, helping to move Leo on. It was hard to coordinate his movements as he was still trying to figure out what Raph wanted. When he felt Raph's cock nudge between his thighs, Leo stiffened up immediately, eyes flying open. 

"Rap--"

"I ain't goin' in dry." His hand soothed down Leo's hip before pushing his legs together, trapping his cock between wet, muscled skin. "You're just-God, Leo." Raph rested his forehead on Leo's shoulder, holding onto his new lover's hips as he pulled away slightly and then pushed back into Leo. "Fuck. Yeah. You're somethin'." 

Leo was quiet for a moment, staring at the shower tiles as Raph started to fuck his thighs, becoming enthusiastic enough that Leo had to leverage back against him to keep upright. The power behind his thrusts made Leo's heart skip and another shiver of pleasure run through is spine. The hands that were flat against the tiles now curled into fists as he heard Raphael moan his name. "Irresistable?"

It was a moment before Raph could answer. "--Yeah." 

Leo huffed out a smile, tightening his thighs together just so he could hear Raph groan. "Irresistable enough to settle for screwing my thighs?"

"Fuck." Raph growled that word out as he tugged harshly on Leo's hair, tilting the young man's head back as he continued pounding. "This ain't settlin', Leo. Your thighs are f-fantastic."

Something low in his belly flipped over at the admission and Leo's breath shuddered as he leaned, trying to kiss Raph in the process. "Want to fuck me into the mattress?" He asked quietly, sounding all too innocent as he swore.

Raph immediately picked up on the change and he crashed his hips against Leo's ass. "Yeah." He tugged harder against Leo's hair, pulling him back a little more to nip harshly against his mouth. "Wanna plow through ya."

"Hear your name on my lips as you make me come?"

Okay, so Leo was new at this and Raph understood that well enough. But just hearing Leo hard core cuss and then ask those questions as if he were talking about the weather did something to the fighter's insides. " _Jesus_ , Leo." His voice was tight as he shut his eyes, moving faster to get just the right amount of friction. "Ya tryin' to get me to pass out?"

"I'm _trying_...to get you to come," Leo reached around and clung to the back of Raph's neck, dipping his head back to rest on Raph's shoulder.

"So you can go to work?"

"No..." He kissed Raph roughly for a moment before responding darkly. "If I keep watching you look like this, we're never leaving this shower. You're getting me hard again looking just like that. So good--"

"Nngh!" It hit him hard and fast, bowling over him to the point where he couldn't speak, just hold on for the duration. Breathing hard, he nuzzled against the side of Leo's head, then pressed a kiss to his temple. Feeling shaky on his legs, Raph leaned against Leo for a minute more, waiting for the strength to return to his legs.

Leo in turn was trying to settle the frantic beating of his heart. He wasn't kidding when he said he was turned on by how Raph looked. At the moment the shower tiles were sufficient to keep his interest from going to a full fledged hard on, again. Feeling Raphael's breathing churn against him was more arousing than it should have been but Leo couldn't find it in his heart to move. And he sincerely didn't _want_ to, anyway. "Better?"

"I'll be better when I get the okay to actually plow your ass," Raph grumbled good naturedly, taking his time to turn Leo around so he could kiss him properly. "I think this is a decent consolation prize."

Leo couldn't help but grin, letting the water wash away the stickiness as he wound his arms around Raph's neck. "Just a decent consolation prize?"

"Maybe a little more than that." Raph couldn't help but smirk as those ice blue eyes looked up in adoration at him. "You'll understand better when you get your chance."

That made Leo start a little in surprise. "You mean you'd bottom for me?"

"Hell yeah. Fair's fair." He caught the shocked expression from Leo and he grinned. "What? Did you think it was always set in stone as to who would pitch and who would catch?"

"I ... I don't know, to be honest." That question caught him a bit off guard and it showed in the way his attention turned away briefly. "Guess I didn't think that far."

"I don't mind switching it up. When you're ready, that is." Raph asked for a kiss this time, letting it simmer for a while before pulling away. "Just gotta make certain you're willing to fight for top dog."

"I knew there was a catch." Leo had to laugh a bit as he finally started moving out of the shower. "I got to get moving before I'm late."

"Uh huh. Just when the conversation was getting interesting." He managed to swing a hand out and smack Leo's ass with a wet slap, grinning when he heard the indignant 'eep!' that came from his new lover. "Have a good day, alright?"

"Oh, I think you pretty much guaranteed that, Raph."

 

Leo's first day back became a very distracting day. Before he even reached the front door there was a news crew across the street making a bee line towards him. Leo looked alarmed momentarily before he straightened his stance, giving the news crew a pleasant smile and a nod in greeting. "Good morning. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Do you work here?"

"Yes." His brow furrowed as the anchorman gave a sharp whistle and the camera man hauled the camera on his shoulder. "What's going on?"

"Can you give us any information on the Nightwatcher's status?" Suddenly there was a mic thrust into Leo's face and he took a step back.

"Ah...I highly doubt --"

"Just one piece of information. Rumor has it that he's out of the running for the UFC this year. How does he feel about that?"

"I would believe, first and foremost, that the Nightwatcher would not approve of someone speaking for him when he doesn't even know he's being scrutinized." Leo answered in a level tone even though there was a harsh edge to his gaze. "Secondly, he's recovering from an injury. You should respect his privacy."

"Was that injury inflicted during the match or an illegal fight?" Again, the mic was thrust into Leo's face.

Before Leo could respond Steve was rushing out of the gym, stalking after Leo. "What the _hell_ did I tell you guys about harassing my employees? Stay on your side of the damn street!"

"Really, you should know the routine by now. If he'd won the match and could continue on to the Championships, we'd still be out here."

"Yeah? And he ain't. Get the hell off my lawn you vultures." He took hold of Leo's arm to drag him away. "You didn't tell them anything, did you?"

"No, Sir." Leo shook his head. "It wouldn't be right."

"Good boy." He slapped a hand on Leo's shoulder, not bothering to say anything until they were in the gym and out of earshot from the media. "How's he doing?"

"Well, for a guy who's had several blows to his head in the past, Raph looks like he's doing fairly well." Leo tried to keep his tone level lest he started stammering at the memory of what he and Raph had been doing the past week. "There's a doctor's appointment in a few days to measure his progress."

"Excellent. Can't wait to have him back, really. And it's good to have you here now, Leo. After what I heard what happened with you and your brother--how's he doing?"

"Mikey's fine. He went home two days later with his cast signed by all of us." It was a bittersweet time. And even though they had called to let their parents know in advance, Leo still felt guilty because he had let his brother get hurt on his watch even though Leo had no control over the situation. "I think he was excited to go home with a souvenier like that."

Steve nodded, taking his time looking over Leo. "And how are _you_ holding up?"

"Me? I'm okay." Leo tried to keep his composure neutral under the new scrutiny. Was Steve wondering what he and Raph were doing? "Is the news going to keep hounding this place?"

"Unfortunately, yes." A moment later and Steve stepped off, irked at the reminder of the media. "Just don't say nothing and ignore them. As far as I know they don't know where you two live. They don't need to know what's going on with Raph and they _certainly_ don't need to know anything about those fights Slash was orchestrating. It's too risky to Raph's career to say anything."

The way Steve said that made Leo pause before following the boss to help out opening up for the day. "Is this a common occurrance?"

"Let's just say we know a thing or two about the media and how they twist shit up." 

Leo wondered if it had anything to do with Raph's father but wisely kept his mouth shut when Steve clearly didn't want to talk about it. He also wondered when the courts would start kicking into gear, if Slash would be able to bail himself out of jail and if he and Raph would soon be a target. It made him want to keep close to Raphael's side that much more and he tried to throw himself into his work in an attempt to distract himself.

Leaving for home found him trying to keep the media away again. This time he needed to lose the news van before he could actually make it home. Leo found himself parking his car in a different complex and sneaking around to his own apartment. Before going into Raphael's home, he stopped by in his own, waiting another twenty minutes before going to Raph's apartment with a sheathed sword in tow. Before he could even open the door, he already smelled dinner out in the hallway. He set the weapon by the door, walking over to Raph with a smile. "Hey."

"Hey, yourself." Raphael glanced up, smirking at first, then frowning a bit. "What is it?"

Crap. He hadn't realized that his face was so readable. "Nothing."

"Fat Liar." Putting the spatula down, he turned and looked squarely at Leo. "Something happened at work?"

"No, not really." Raph glared at him a little more and Leo sighed. "There was a news crew camped out there."

"And?"

"And they tried to follow me home."

" _Perfect_." Raph went back to cooking their meal, scowling at the pan as he stirred the hash and potatoes. "Just perfect. Steve beat them away?"

"For now." Leo stepped up behind Raph to put his arms around the fighter. "I have to get my car from the other lot after dark."

"Yeah. Guess this is just how it's gonna be for a while."

"I'm not worried about that. They can try and ask me all they want about you. I'll keep telling them to mind their business." Leo kissed the back of Raph's neck, relishing in the fact that it made the fighter melt. "What I'm concerned about is Slash. When he'll make bail."

Obviously that was something Raph didn't want to think about but once Leo brought it up, he couldn't hide it away. "They'll call if he does. And there's already a restraining order."

"Pieces of paper don't work."

"Oh?" Raph quirked up a brow and turned his head so he could look at Leo. "Academy student doesn't believe in the penal law?"

"That has nothing to do with it. Criminals don't follow the rules. That's why they're criminals." 

"So you're not worried?"

"No. I have some insurance policies in place."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"How about you tell me what's for dinner? It smells delicious." Leonardo didn't want to let Raph know what he had planned and tried to detour the conversation. Raph didn't seem to be having any of it because he stood there silently, waiting for Leo to return to the original conversation. Leo was just as stubborn in not telling Raph and soon enough they discovered they were eating dinner in stony silence. It definitely wasn't something that Leo had wanted to do but did he want to tell Raph about the sword? Would he freak out? What Leo wanted was kivey conversation and Raph's dark eyes glittering with a smile. At the end of Dinner, Leo finally decided to call a truce.

"I brought one of my swords here. I'm...concerned that Slash will make it out and try and do something."

Raphael didn't look up right away. "Pretending to be a ninja warrior or something?"

"Shinobi, if you want to be accurate. And it's not pretending. I do have high rankings in Kendo, not just karate." Leo looked up to watch Raph. "I'm not saying you can't protect yourself. But you still have a head injury and I would rather you not scramble your brains too much." Raph looked up at Leo then and the young man threw the fighter a lopsided smile. "I very much prefer your brains the way they are."

Raph smirked and finally rose from the table to put his dishes in the sink. "Just don't go telling me you're some master chef, too. I'll _know_ you're lying, then."

"Don't worry! I'm far from that. Is it okay?"

"Yeah, it's okay. You don't sleep with the thing, do you?"

"I only sleep with one dangerous thing at a time."

Raph flashed a true smile then, looking at Leo over his shoulder. "Oh, I'll show you extra dangerous, then."


	9. HAPPY BIRTHDAY

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally. FINALLY!
> 
> This is the moment you've been waiting for, right? That whole bang-bang chapter! 
> 
> No, it's not April Fools. You got it! CELEBRATE!

Raph was due to be back to work a couple weeks before Thanksgiving and everyone at the gym was getting ready for it. The fighters were circled around the front desk, throwing out ideas. 

"Dune buggy trip?"

"Zip line between the towers?"

"Well there has to be the huge cake."

"Ice cream?"

"Nah, man. Lactose intolerant."

Leo listened in a bit and then came towards the group. "We're planning a welcome back party for Raph?"

Bobby turned and looked at Leo. "Nnnnnnoooo... There's his birthday?"

"Birthday!" Leo looked taken aback for a moment. "He didn't mention a birthday to me." 

"It's on the eleventh, Veteran's Day," Steve supplied. "He usually doesn't say much about it but we always do something for him every year." 

That was in two days. Leo took an invested interest in their planning. When he came home, the initial ideas were in place to not only welcome Raph back to work but to also celebrate getting a year older. There was a different anticipation in Leo because he decided that their relationship was ready to progress. 

"Let's go on a date," he opened up with during dinner. Raph's dark eyes lifted up to look into Leo's ice blue eyes. 

"A date."

"Yeah. We've never been on one."

"Okay." The fighter set his fork down for a minute. "What do you want to do?"

"Well, you're the native. What's out there to explore?"

Raphael thought for a moment as he took this as a challenge. "This town doesn't sleep. Casinos are boring."

"And I don't like to gamble."

Raphael laughed at that. "Why in the world did you choose this place?!" His laughter died off and he picked at his salad. "I dunno. What do you want to do? Daredevil shit or safe and boring?"

"What's your idea of safe and boring?" Leo smirked a bit, glancing back up to Raph's dark eyes. 

"Not zip lining."

"Zip lining?" Leo had already asked about that in the gym but he wanted Raph's take on the thought.

"Yep! One tower to the next. Zip line all the way with just a 'thumb sucker' safety line and a helmet." 

"At least they're thinking of your brains," Leo admonished gently. After a moment of silence, he nodded. "All right. What's one more challenge to add to the list?"

"You mean that ain't your first thought? What was your first?"

"You, I hope." As soon as he said it, Leo looked down, waiting for an answer. When Raph didn't respond, Leo looked up. "Raph?"

"Are ya sayin' what I think you are?" Raphael's tone was soft, almost hesitant. It was as if he couldn't believe his own ears. They had been 'messing around' for weeks and just last week he was allowed to finger Leo's ass. He had to praise Leo for being a quick learner on that while keeping himself in check. Now Leo was giving him the green light? Something else was niggling in the back of his head, though. There was something important that was happening soon, too. Before now they were having a blast as Raphael was mentally racking up his 'awesome boyfriend of the year' points. It was a given that sooner or later they would go all the way and now it seemed like it was going to happen this week! Best birthday present ever!

... Oh yeah!

"Are you having second thoughts?" Leo was afraid this would happen. He had finally gotten comfortable enough and now Raph wasn't interested? It certainly didn't seem that way last night! 

"Hell, no. But you deciding to do it on my birthday?" Raph frowned. "I thought we were doing this when _you_ were comfortable."

"I _am_ , comfortable. I mean-I'm still a little nervous but that doesn't mean I don't want to." His face fell a little more as Raph glowered. "I'm ready."

"No."

That definitely wasn't the response Leo was expecting to hear. He couldn't believe that Raph actually said it! "What?"

"We ain't doing this out of some obligation that you need to do something nice for my birthday." 

"It's not out of obligation!" Leo watched in shock as Raph rose from the table. "Are you serious right now? You're telling me no because of your birthday? I didn't even know it was going to be your birthday until today!"

"OH. So this whole thing about a date and then fucking your brains out wasn't thought of until today?"

"That's not what I said and you know that." Exasperated, Leonardo rose from his seat to follow his retreating lover. "I want to do something nice that we can enjoy together, Raph. You know, like a regular couple?"

"Newsflash, Fearless. We ain't a regular couple." He turned suddenly, almost snarling back at Leo. "Last I checked, a regular couple was a male and female."

The young man stopped, gaping at Raph as the fighter growled and turned back into the kitchen area. There was something there that Leo had unwittingly opened up and escalated. He waited a moment before walking up to Raph who purposely kept his back to Leo. "We're not a regular couple because we're not the opposite sex?"

"Yeah. I mean, no one's gonna look at us like regular people." He didn't turn around as he started to angrily scrub dishes.

"Raphael." Leo reached over to rest his hand on Raph's shoulder. "I don't care how everyone else looks at us. I care about how _you_ look at _me_."

"You should care. You're going to be a cop."

"I'm not going to be sleeping with them. I don't _love_ them." Leo's voice was quiet as he spoke, not knowing how Raph would react to that. "Who I love and what I do privately is none of their business."

"It's going to be." He sounded so certain of that, as if he experienced it himself. Raph hadn't moved when he felt Leo's hand on him but he did slow his scrubbing on the hapless dish. "You can't stop it."

"So? I think people need to experience love a little more than they do now. In whatever form it manifests." Once he was certain Raph wasn't going to push him away, he came closer to embrace Raph from behind and rest his forehead on the back of Raph's neck. 

There was a long silence between them before Raphael finally heaved a heavy sigh. "Why do you love me again?"

Leo grinned, squeezing Raph from behind. "You force me to be a better person."

"I don't piss you off?" 

"I didn't say that." Raph's scoff made Leo laugh. The fighter finally turned to face Leo, looping his arms around Leo in the process. "You're _exceptional_ at pissing me off. You should go pro."

"That would make me a jack of all trades."

"I call it your back up plan." Leo smiled warmly as Raph rested his forehead against his own. Raph sighed heavily and leaned into Leo's touch, holding him all the tighter.

"Tell me again."

Leo's fingers feathered over the sides of Raph's face as he repeated his sentiment. "I love you."

"Love you too, Leo."

 

*****

 

"WELCOME BACK, RAPH!" Bobby and Juan were yelling at the top of their lungs to welcome their wayward fighter home. Raph just smirked at them, trying to grab each of them into a head lock before he could even get into the building. The news crews was finally down to one stubborn channel and even then they weren't quick enough to get more than a cameo shot of the fighter.

"Good to see you again, son," Steve beamed, thumping Raphael securely on the back. "We got you a little somethin-somethin for ya."

Headgear for MMA fighting. Complete with tiara and pink rhinestones. The guys certainly got a laugh out of that one and even Raph cracked a smile. The official head gear was red to match his uniform and Steve told him to keep the pink one. One never knew if they'd have kids and it would be perfect for a little girl. Raph glanced over to Leo for a moment before grumbling about how he was too young for kids.

The work day went well and the evening was an impromptu party playing with the zip lines. Everyone else had done the thrilling attraction before and they had all decided that Leo could not be properly indoctrinated into the gym until he had done the line. Leo waited in line wearing a little nervous smile. "When I first heard that, I was a little worried."

"Oh, I get it," Bobby started. "Country line dancing." Juan cackled after Raph jabbed Bobby with an elbow. 

"Steve doesn't allow those kinds of lines at the gym. Hell, one new kid tried and Steve had his foot so far up his ass we could see his toes wigglin' in the kid's mouth!" Juan added as they came closer to the gear up station. "So you wore a diaper for this, right, Leo?"

"Was that a requirement for this?"

"It is if ya gonna loose it!"

"Leo ain't losin' nothin," Raph declared, winding an arm around Leo's shoulders. "Just gainin' another family."

That statement pulled a grin from Leo and while he screamed bloody murder, he was grinning through the entire trip. Raphael followed shortly after, thrilled to see the excitement in Leo's eyes. He looked so bright and alive that he had to use all his willpower not to attack Leo on the building platform.

He saw that same excitement when Leo was beneath him.

Leo's eyes had glazed over as he struggled for a full breath. One foot was flat on the mattress and the other was hooked around Raph's waist, the heel digging into the small of his back. Raph was two fingers deep, stroking over that swollen spot and watching the nervous discomfort melt from Leo's face and be replaced with hazy lust. " _Raph_."

"Ya want somthin' Fearless?" Raphael could only rasp into Leo's neck as he felt muscles ripple in confusion around his fingers and then try and relax. His initial apprehension about doing this was fading fast when Leo's brows knit together.

"I want you."

"Sure you can handle me?"

"I'll learn."

Raph teethed the nerve in Leo's neck, feeling that trickle of pleasure as the other man groaned as he arched his head back,. Pulling his fingers away slowly, he felt Leo's body tense, trying to keep Raph close. "You tell me if it's too much." Instead of wrorrying about uncapping the lube and getting more, he had just poured a thick dallop onto a coaster by the bed so he could dip his fingers in when needed. He did that to slick up his dick without moving away from Leo, whispering darkly against his skin. Lining up, he kept a steady pressure against that unsure opening so he wouldn't slip out of place while hooking Leo's leg up over his shoulder.

He was going to die right now if he was going to so ever. Rolling in slow, measured pulses into that tight, _tight_ heat was driving Raph insane. So many times he needed to stop and let Leo's body work through the cellular panic before settling down again. And when he spotted that spark of worry in those chips of ice blue, he reached down between them, cradling Leo's softening cock and squeezing lightly. "This is normal, Fearless. Yer alright." Deft fingers stroked so gently that Leo shuddered hard, turning his head and catching the soft skin of Raph's inner wrist with his teeth. Raphael's cock twitched hard as he pushed in faster than he intended to, making Leo gasp and eyes flutter. 

"Do that again."

Raph groaned, repeating the action and watching in wonder at the way Leo reacted so favorably to it. The cock pulsed in his hand, inflating until it was throbbing with its own life. Leo was trying to get his hips to move in the right way, awkwardly working over Raph's cock as his muscles unconsciously clung and then released it, milking him in deeper. Ignoring his own needs, he stabbed sharp and quick, not really moving far but shifting deeply as Leo moaned. The sound of smacking skin was growing louder with the heavy pants and Raph was staring at the way Leo's face twisted once as his whole body tightened. 

"Oh, _fuck_." The curse was breathed from Raph as he felt that pulse start deeply before the rest of Leo's body caught on. A whole bodied shudder hit him just before the release did and Raphael was privy to the entire scene. "Fuck, Leo." And that's what Raph did in short, sharp strokes while Leo broke apart under him, calling out wordlessly and trying to hold on and help at the same time. His hand kept moving, working with the pulses that spread warm fluid between them, enhancing that euphoric high Leo was trapped in. And just as Leo was starting to come down, Raph pushed in hard twice, grunting as he caught hold of his own release, pumping deeply while Leo was slowly relaxing the tension in his limbs.

Both panting, trying to gain semblance of there they were, Leo pressed his cheek against Raph's while the fighter's combed Leo's short hair with trembling fingers. "I... _really_....liked that," he finally managed to croak out, peeling his eyes open to look at his fighter.

"Yeah?" It was an ego stroke, for sure. What was better was the look of adoration in Leo's eyes and the giddy smile on his lips. Raph grinned, brushing his mouth against Leo's for a moment. "I'll give ya that every chance I can if I can see you like this." It was sappy and he knew that. He just wanted to tell Leo that he was special. "Yer the best birthday gift... _ever._ "

A throaty chuckle bubbled up from Leo, doing weirdly pleasant things along Raph's cock from the inside. "Better than a motor bike?"

"Definitely. I'll ride you ever chance I get."

"I can definitely get used to that." He sighed softly, reaching up to wind his arms around Raph and keep him close. "So tired now."

"Uh huh. Let's get cleaned up so we can sleep, alright?"

"Yeah."


	10. Nothing lasts forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stress is a real bummer. So are stalkers.

"Hamato!"

It wasn't entirely unusual to get called out of line. Jogging off the track, Leo came to a halt before the instructor who had shouted his name. " _Hai!_ "

The instructor eyeballed the young man. "Not a karate class, Hamato."

"Ah, sorry sir. You wanted me?"

"Phone call in the main office. It's the department." Back to scribbling notes, Leo was dismissed.

Having no idea why the higher ups would be calling him, he made his way to the office, by passing people he was certain he knew but couldn't quite remember their names. There was a mental note to work harder on his memorization skills. The phone was waiting for him on one of the desks and he picked it up. "Leonardo Hamato speaking."

"Leonardo. Detective Sikes," The voice sounded completely professional with an undertone of stress, causing the hairs on Leo's neck to stand up. "I'm sorry to disturb you at this hour." Leo could feel the pit of his stomach drop at the pause. "There's been an incident at your apartment--"

Leo never bothered to listen to the rest of what the detective had to say. Sprinting out of the office he went into the locker room for his wallet and keys. Speeding home, he was already dreading what he'd find. Slash made bail. He found Raph. Raph stayed home.

All of his fears came to light when he saw the flashers of the cop cars in the dead of night. They were littering the drive to the apartment building. Two ambulances were there and then Leo saw the black hurst.

WIth barely enough time to put the car into partk, Leo was out like a shot, running towards the entrance of the building, shoving and pushing his way through the sea of first responders that suddenly multiplied. It was a struggle and a fight that was slowly suffocating him. Still trying to catch a full breath, Leo dropped to his knees by the couch, trying desperately to make sense of the blood, the entrails, the utter _fury_ that was unleashed upon Raphael. Leo swore his heart stopped breathing as he looked at what was left of Raph's face. Again that suffocating feeling hit him as the tinny scent of congealed blood invaded his nostrils. His hands wanted to touch but they were stuck at his sides. No matter how much he tried to will his body to move, it refused him. Finally he managed to croak something out of his chest. "R-raph." Heart broken. Defeated. Leo _knew_ he should have stayed home. He should have kept watch and yet Raphael pushed him out the door, warning him not to make Raphael change his nickname.

Whatever was squeezing the life out of him let go and Leonardo sucked in a ragged breath, keening as he exhaled. His love was gone. It was _his_ fault and no one else's. How _dare_ Raph leave him! The pain was back, doubled the intensity as it was before. Slash came into view from behind the couch, his grin wide and toothy. The pistol leveled before his eyes as Slash said something in a mocking tone.

"Never wake up."

 

"Leonardo!" Raphael managed to grab one flailing leg as he worked to get the clammy sheet untwisted from Leo's face. The flexibility that Leo had was remarkable and usually Raph appreciated it. Tonight was not one of those nights. And the fucker was _quick_. Once he had managed to free Leo's face the young man was fighting in his sleep, catching Raph in the jaw before he could pin Leo down. "Wake. The fuck. UP."

Leo's eyes opened and he shouted out a warning before he realized he wasn't being shot. There was no gun, no stifling uniforms everywhere, no chaos. He was breathing hard, eyes still wild until he could focus on Raphael's pissed off face. No, he wasn't pissed off. He was worried and his usual worried expressions looked like he was angry. "R-Raph?" Leo choked on his lover's name, thrilled that his arms were free and he clung to Raphael's neck, pulling him close. Raph had no recourse but to collapse on top of Leo, realizing after a moment that it was exactly what Leo wanted. He said nothing else after Raph's name, but the frantic beat of his heart in his chest told Raph a different story. Leo shivered and Raph flipped them on their sides, holding him tightly.

"You okay, man?"

Leo didn't say anything, just nodded slowly. 

"Bad dream?"

This time there was no nod, just Leo clinging tighter. Raph frowned slightly.

"Slash, again?"

It was a full minute before Leo responded. His hands were on Raph's face as he kissed him as if it was his last chance to do so. Jaw working, tongue thrusting in, it was a kiss flavored with desperation and spiced with fading terror. Raph met it head on, adding a ferociousness of his own to it as his hand grabbed one ass cheek and then the back of Leo's thigh. Raphael's teeth found Leo's clavicle, making him jump and whimper softly. Another rustle later and Raph's hand was on Leo's cock, stroking fast and firm as he breathed hotly in Leo's ear. "I ain't going anywhere, Leo," he muttered gruffly, reveling the way Leo was straining against him. Finally the blue eyed man was open mouth panting, his fingers digging into the back of Raph's neck.

"Nothing's going to take me away from you. _Nothing_." Raph gasped just as Leo choked, all the stress of the nightmare spilled out to soak in flannel pjs. They were pulled away from Leo's body to be tossed away somewhere in the room and nude legs twined together under the sheets. Leonardo was moving, sleepily biting at Raph's lip. "Pay me back later, Fearless," Raph soothed, running his hand up and down Leo's side to encourage sleep. "You need your sleep."

"-- _shiteru,_ Raph." 

"Yeah, love you too, dork." Raph watched Leo sleep for a long time, his mind running around in circles as he tried to puzzle out what exactly was bothering his boyfriend. Leonardo kept his dreams to himself and Raph had learned that when he was frightened, he said nothing. It was the opposite of himself really. When Raph got scared, he got loud and punchy. Leonardo seemed used to walling himself up into a fortress that others really couldn't break into. And lately the nightmares were getting worse. It was no surprise that they got bad the closer one of those damn court dates came up.

He sighed softly, resting his forehead against Leo's temple. "Wish you'd tell me what's going on in that crazy head of yours," Raph whispered. He brushed Leo's bangs out of his face before pressing his lips against the spot where his forehead had been. "This ain't my first rodeo in the courts. It's just a pain in the neck, Leo. We'll be fine."

**********

The gym was after hours and Leo had finished all of his tasks for the night. Raph needed to borrow the car and promised to be back to pick him up. In the meantime, Leonardo stared out onto the gym floor, listening to the silence. The courts and Slash making bail were weighing heavily on his mind and he was so far away from the things that normally gave him solace. He had no dojo here, none of that incense his father would burn after a trying class. With a small sigh he lifted himself to his feet and disappeared into the locker room. A few minutes later he walked out bare foot in loose shorts and no shirt, carrying his katana with him. It wasn't a dojo, he wasn't in hakamas, but it would do. Warming up in the ring was quick and once he orientated himself, bowed to the east and then drew his blade.

Raph had shown up about an hour into what Leo started, ready to call out to his boyfriend but stopped when he heard the kiai. He paused, listening to the sounds of a fight and he approached carefully, the six pack in hand about to become a weapon. Turning the corner, he stopped again, watching Leo in the ring go through a sword kata. The young man was so focused he didn't see Raph there watching. Sure, Raphael knew that Leo practiced martial arts. Hell, he even sparred some hand to hand but it was nothing compared to what Leo was doing now. _He's been going easy on me_ , the fighter thought to himself as he watched the grace Leo carried. Not one motion was wasted as he shifted from form to form, sword slicing through the air so fast that Raph could almost feel the breeze from it. Leo was not a bulked out man but well toned and defined, his muscles showing a fair amount of power and strength in his movements. And he was quick. He relied on his speed and agility to get him through a fight rather than raw strength. Raphael was enthralled by the others movements, watching him like one would watch a coveted dancer. Still amazed he moved up to the ring, not thinking about making a noise to alert Leo that he was there. 

In a split second, he found himself staring cross eyed at the point of Leo's katana. Looking along the blade, he zeroed in on Leo's eyes. Brows furrowed in concentration, the ice blue eyes froze Raph in place as they pierced him with that weird, unnerving stare. With a flick of his wrist the blade twirled away and Leo blinked, the glare of a killing warrior gone. "Please make a noise next time, Raph."

"Yeah. Sure, Leo." Raph took a step back, watching the other carefully. "You okay, there?"

"Fine." It was spoken in such a way that anyone who knew Leonardo would be convinced without a doubt that he was anything but. "It's time to go home, then?"

"Not quite. Go get changed." He flashed a smile then, lifting up his cardboard case of beer. "Got us a six pack and we're gonna find a nice spot to drink it."

Leo arched a brow. "You mean at home?" The last thing he wanted on their record was a DUI.

"Just get dressed, Fearless." Raph muttered something under his breath about fearless and boring but Leo chose to ignore it while he went to humor his boyfriend. After getting dressed, he sat in the passenger side while Raph whistled out a merry tune, speeding down the highway and extremely unhealthy speeds. He turned off the highway and pointed out into the desert, still driving very fast and looking like he was cruising on a Sunday afternoon. Twenty miles out Raph finally parked by a rock outcropping, turning off the ignition and beaming a grin at Leo. "We're here!"

Not really in the mood for games, Leo arched a brow. "And here is?"

"Come on, Leo! Where's your sense of adventure? Your desire to get piss drunk and just fuck off?" Raph grabbed the beer and swung out of the car, waiting for Leo to join him. Leo continued to sit in the car as he thought about this turn of events. 

"We're going to get piss drunk on only six beers?"

"Well? No. I can handle a lot more than six." He dropped his head down to peek at Leo through the door. "But I'm pretty sure you'll be swimmin' in two." His eyes flashed amusement at Leo's scowl. "Come _on_ , Grampa. I brought your teeth with me, too." Without any further pleading, Raph shut the door and marched over to the rocks, hopping over the formation to disappear on the other side. 

Leonardo continued to sulk a bit in the car. What the hell was he up to? Knowing the sooner he got to the bottom of this, the sooner they could go home, he exited the car himself, making certain that Raph took the keys before locking it and followed his boyfriend. They were out far enough into the desert that it was chilly and the city lights weren't that intrusive to the natural night light. With very little light pollution, the galaxy was able to light up the night even though there was only a sliver of moon. Leo made a mental note to remember this place and then stopped in his tracked when he found Raph. 

The big lug had been out here earlier, setting up some extra blankets next to the sun-warm boulders. There was no need for any sort of firelight since the stars were so plentiful. Before Raphael was take out and the beer. "Ya gonna gawk or are you gonna come and eat?" He was popping the cap on the second beer, glancing up at Leo in the process. Holy, hell, Raph set up a _date._

"You brought dinner." Leonardo still wasn't certain what was going on. Was there a special occasion? Did he forget an anniversary? Raphael usually wasn't the romantic, sentimental type. Stunned, he moved to sit on the blanket, smelling the Chinese that wafted up to his nose.

"Yep. So right now, it's you and me and food." Raph looked back to Leo, smirking. "No thinking about tomorrow or next week or courts or assholes that can't keep to themselves, got it? Time to unwind." He offered the opened bottle as mist from the beer sank down the neck of the glass. Leo took it, utterly stymied as he watched Raph open a few boxes of take out and offer a fork. "You take this or chopsticks?"

Leo set the beer down, pressing it into the sand so it would remain upright and leaned over to kiss his lover. His mouth completely covered Raphs, lips and tongue working to undo the fighter and pull a moan from him. The sounds Raphael made always set a fire in his gut and Leo knew if he kept this up, they'd be eating cold, sandy food. "Chopsticks," he responded breathlessly, instantly attracted to the lethal look Raph gave him. "Have I told you I love you, today?"

"Nope!" Raph was cheerful enough as he swapped the Western utensil for Eastern ones. "But you can show me later." He grinned, taking his beer as he watched Leo dig in, using the chopsticks with killer expertise. "I got a little of everything and I'm pretty sure it's all loaded with MSG."

"Delicious," Leo moaned slightly, forcing himself to slow down and taste the food. While not starving, he hadn't been eating well because of the stress and it seemed that a different setting was all that was needed to get his appetite back. He eyed Raph stabbing at some broccoli with his fork and Leo shook his head. "Don't you know how to use a pair of sticks?"

"What? No way. That takes forever to eat."

"Does not. Come here." Their dinner date turned into a lesson on how to use the pieces of wood to get food into one's mouth. Raphael had more trouble holding onto it than anything else, often dropping his bites in his lap before managing to get something in his mouth. 

"No wonder Asians are skinny. They can't get the food to their mouths!" 

Leo smiled as he chewed, rolling his eyes a bit. "Here." Plucking some food from his box, he balanced a hefty amount on his sticks, waiting for Raph to take it. He could feel the slight vibration of Raph's teeth scraping rice off the sticks, eyes trained on Leo as he pulled back enough to chew safely.

The evening contained laughter, small talk about everything _but_ what was happening legally or otherwise, and beer. Leo only drank the bottle he was given since it was open. While the alcohol warmed him more, he much rather continue to teach Raph how to balance food on pieces of wood and feed him from said pieces of wood. And Raphael was more than happy to comply since Leo looked more relaxed now than he had in months. Eventually food was put back into the cooler that Raph had stored it in originally, the beer set off to the side and the pair snuggled under extra blankets to watch the stars. Leo sat up while Raphael used his thigh as a pillow, eyes drifting every time Leo carded Raph's hair with his fingers.

"It's beautiful out here."

"Yeah, it is. Nice, quiet spot where no one will bother us." Raph waggled his brows suggestively just so that Leo would laugh at him. 

"I don't think I drank enough to be so inebriated that you can take advantage of me." Leo was still grinning, glancing away from Raph before looking back at him. He sucked in a breath as he felt Raph's hand trail across the inside of his thigh, edging closer towards his torso.

"Oh, I think you're much more fun with all of your faculties in place," Raphael husked, turning so that he could draw himself up on his knees to kiss Leo. The kiss was warm and fiery while he urged Leo to lie back, covering them both with a blanket. "And I'm gonna prove it."

"In the desert?" Leo sounded incredulous even though he shifted easily, opening his legs to welcome the heat of Raphael's hand on his crotch.

"Uh huh. Out here, no one's gonna hear ya scream." Leo laughed again at Raph's mock threat. "What! It's true!"

"Shut up and kiss me, Psycho." 

They watched the sun rise together on those now cooled rocks, enjoying their last moments alone without responsibility. Shirtless and snuggled into Raphael's warmth with a blanket to cocoon them, Leo sighed happily. "You're a real romantic, Raph."

"Nah. I just wanted to fuck you out in the desert." Raphael sounded darkly amused as he kissed the crown of Leo's head. 

"You big softie."

"Tell anyone and I'll have to drag you out here again."

"Promise?"

"Mmhmm." Raphael tilted Leo's chin up to kiss him properly. "Guess we have to go back home, now."

"Unfortunately," Leo murmured against Raph's lips, reluctant to pull away. The return to responsibility and the real world was jarring. Leo, relaxed and lazy limbed, remained in the passenger side of the car, content to let Raphael drive them home. His phone started buzzing in the center cradle and he noted it was his little brother calling. And there were 29 missed calls. Curious to find out what was going on, he answered call number thirty. "Good morning, Michelangelo."

"Oh my God, you _are_ alive! Leo, where the hell have you been!" The panicked tone of his brother made Leo sit ramrod straight, earning a side glance from Raph.

"I left my phone in the car," Leo answered carefully at first. "Are Mother and Father alright?"

"Yeah, they're just busy having heart attacks after the Nevada Police called us last night."

"Why would they be calling you?" Leo eyed Raph as he put the phone on speaker. 

"Aren't you at home?"

"I was with Raph."

"So you're both alive?!"

"Spit it out, screwball," Raphael demanded. "What the hell's going on?"

"There's been an incident at your home," Mikey informed them, making Leo stiffen in surprise. It was so much like his dream! "The cops have been looking for you all night, thinking Leo was abducted."

Tires squealed as Raph floored the gas.


	11. hibernations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's short, I know. This whole court thing is giving me the run around on me so better to post short and keep going than not at all.

Even though it was daytime when Leo saw the police cars, all he could think about was his dream. Raph would be lying on the couch, mutilated and broken and Slash would show up and shoot him. It felt too real and when he noted a hand on his arm, Leo nearly jumped.

"Hey." Raphael's voice was warm and soothing. _Alive_. "No one got hurt, Leo. We're both still here, remember?"

"Right." Leo tried to smile and indulged on touching Raphael's hand. Yep. Warm and alive. "Let's go find out what happened."

Out in front of the cops, Leo was practically one of them, looking on the scene of his trashed room with an odd sort of detachment. A tornado had gone through Leo's apartment, breaking furniture, dishes, ruining cabinets, tearing up pictures. Leonardo needed to tally what was left and discover if anything was missing. He frowned at that considering he had other weapons here including his pistol for the academy. Leo definitely reported that missing and asked for time to make a count of everything else. In the meantime, Raphael was interrogated, asking for alibis on their whereabouts and he was working to produce purchase receipts and the toll tickets to get back into the city highway. It left Leo alone for a moment to actually see the damage in his apartment. Yes, it was trashed but at least he and Raph were okay. Blue eyes caught something and he turned to look, noting how deeply the shuriken had been embedded into the wall and the stars were thrust into the heads of the people in the pictures. Leo sucked in a small, quick breath.

The shuriken was through Mikey's face.

It was hours before the officers cleared out, finished with their clue collecting and questioning. They left the pair in the destruction of Leo's apartment, unwilling to provide any hints as to who had done this and why. Raph was fairly convinced it could be only one person and that person they knew for a fact was out of jail. Slash was not a 'live and let live' kind of person. The thing was when he mentioned Slash's legal name, the cops just rolled their eyes. Again with the tit-for-tat stuff, one muttered under his breath. That was when Raphael raised his voice. "You listen to me! There's already issues with that _asshole_ and if you haven't figured it out with your tiny brains--"

Leo reached out, trying to settle his lover. "Raph." Raphael shrugged the hand off and crept close to the officers face, sneering as he tried to keep his own hands off the uniform.

"This _grunt_ needs to do his job!"

"Raphael, he _is_ doing his job." Leo remained quiet and firm, pulling at Raph's shoulder again. "They have to go through the proper channels." He looked to the officer, dipping his head a little in apology. "I'm sorry. This is extremely distressing."

"Distressing? DISTRESSING?!"

The officer's mouth formed a thin line as he nodded to Leo. "We will get back to you on this. Good luck."

"Did you see him smirk? I SAW HIM SMIRK!" Raph was furious that he was dismissed and he lunged forward towards the uniform, bellowing his rage. "Come back here you fucker!"

Leo held onto Raph tight, using all his weight to hold the fighter back. "That's enough!" No matter how worried Leo was about the situation, having Raphael blow out of control wasn't going to help them. "Let them do their job."

"And you want to be a part of that?" Raph unleashed his rage out on Leo, nearly roaring in his face. "Some asshole who ha-has his 'hands tied' up in some bureaucratic shit?!"

" _Raphael._ " Leo's warning was low as the rest of the officers filed out. "Keep my career choices out of this."

Raph glared at Leo for a moment and the tugged his arm away, breaking them apart. "Whatever." His eyes fell onto the picture that had been left on the wall. "Pack a bag, Leo. You're not staying here."

Only slightly relieved that Leo had changed Raph's direction, he looked back at his boyfriend. "Your place is only upstairs."

"Yeah, I know. I gotta pack, too."

Now curiosity crossed Leo's face. "Then where are we going?"

"To my brother's."

"In down town?" Leo frowned as he watched Raph looked through the room again. "People could get hurt."

"Hiding in plain sight is best. His building's secure. There's more cameras in the hallway than this whole complex has. Slash ain't gonna make too big a scene."

"This. This isn't a big scene?" Leo lifted his arms, gesturing to his ruined living room. Raph's dark eyes scanned the area.

"Pack. Find that toothpick of yours. I'm callin' Donnie."

************

"But you two are okay, right?" Donatello followed his brother around, watching Raph inspect his impeccible apartment. "You're not hurt?"

"We weren't there," Raph countered, peering out the one window that lead to the street. 

"Where were you?" Donnie's mouth snapped shut as Raph slowly turned his head to look at his brother and quirked a brow.

"We weren't there," Leonardo repeated smoothly, setting down his clothing bag and then easing down another bag that contained other personal effects with his swords tied to it. "We would be here sooner but I had to report my firearm was taken."

"Was anything else taken?" Donnie asked, figuring it was safer to turn to the problem and not interrogate on Raph's love life.

"No." Satisfied with his inspection, Raph eased back from the windows, dropping his bag by the love seat. 

"Well, my home is open. I doubt with my work schedule there's going to be much conflict," Don told Leo more than Raph as he headed to the kitchen island. "Which, from what I've gathered just now is a good thing since it seems like your relationship has progressed enough that some discretion should be heeded."

"Thank you, Donnie," Leo responded as Raph kicked back on the couch with a loud sigh. "I hope we won't be here for long. There's still clean up to worry about as well."

"Ya ain't goin' alone to clean up," Raph grunted, already on the remote to the television.

Leo plastered on a patient smile, looking back to Don. Donnie smirked, resting a hand on Leo's shoulder as he whispered. "You're a good man." Raph was belligerent at best when he was worried about things. For Leo to be patient through it was very telling to Don as to how into the other was for his brother. When Don spoke again, it was louder this time. "What exactly did you bring, Leo?"

"You mean other than clothes? Some weapons that I had brought with me from my father's dojo." Leo looked a little guilty. "I just couldn't leave them there."

"Of course not. They're like family heirlooms, right?"

Raph snorted. "If you want to swing around the heirloom sword, yeah."

Leo rolled his eyes, deciding not to validate that with a response. "Some of the pieces have been passed down through several generations of the Hamato clan. Since I am the eldest son, they were given to me. If something should happen to me and I do not have any children, they will go to my brother."

There was a moment of silence after that. Leo had been so serious that Donnie blinked for a moment, trying to think of something to say. Raph was still staring at the TV, punching buttons on the remote. "You better carry the kids, then. I make a terrible woman."

"What?" It was definitely something Leo wasn't expecting to hear and he turned to Raph who was still staring at the TV but smirking this time.

With the tension broken Donnie chuckled, pouring himself a cup of coffee. "I have work in an hour. You know where the spare key is, right?"

"Yep," Raphael answered.

"Don't make too much of a mess."

"Nope."

At night, dinner was quiet. The pair had gone to start cleaning up the mess in Leo's apartment and it was disheartening to find the growing pile of trash by the dumpster. Back in Donnie's apartment the fact that Leo's home had been violated sunk in further, especially when the sleeper sofa was pulled out. Raph kept watching Leo out of the corner of his eye as he set up the sheets. The other man was seated by the window, watching the glaring city lights. Propped up beside him was his sword and his hand lovingly curled around the handle of the blade, fingers brushing over it in subtle motions.

"Leo." Blue eyes moved to focus on him and Raph felt a little better. "Come on. Bed."

The young man sighed, pushing himself up to move towards the fighter. "Shame I didn't think to keep the inflatable mattress I had when I first moved here."

"And then you'd become a packrat," Raph smirked, coaxing him into bed. "I'm not completely convinced that you're not, anyway. All those knicknacks you have in your place."

"You mean the broken things."

"Better than you."

Leo was silent for a while, feeling safe being encased in strong muscle. "They want Mikey to come in and testify in person. The judge wouldn't allow a Skype."

"Meaning we need to get a spot set up for him." Raph sighed a bit. "Piece of cake. Just means we won't have any private time. Are your parents coming?"

"They...can't. With the dojo to run, they can't leave it."

"We'll watch over him, then. I guess then we have to hurry up and get those apartments ready."

"Yes, we will."


	12. Speed Bumps

"LEO!" 

Leonardo knew that voice anywhere and he smirked at Raph just before he was tackled by a spry Asian kid. "Hell, Leo, I missed you like crazy! I'm so glad you're okay!" Little brother turned spider monkey clung to Leo with both arms and legs. Leo, in turn, held onto Mikey like no tomorrow. Raphael watched on with a slight smirk, shaking his head a bit.

"Missed you too, Mikey. You're doing okay, right?" Leo was able to peel enough Mikey away from him to get a good look. "You've been eating well?"

"Yeah, yeah, _Mom._ " Mikey shrugged it aside, hopping off Leo quickly before his elder brother had the chance to start examining him. "And what about you?"

"I've been fine--"

Raph snorted then, leaning against Leo. "No he hasn't."

Just then a light went off on Mikey's face. "Raph!" And he proceeded to leap up and cling to the fighter the same way he did Leo. Raph wasn't so welcoming about that and staggered back a bit with his hands in the air, not knowing where to put them. "Aww, I've been worried about you too! Your brains haven't been completely scrambled by that fight, have they? Or can we see to the other side of your head?" Mikey grinned as he tried to look into Raph's ear. "I think I see some of Leo's spit--"

"Alright! That's enough!" He moved to push Mikey off him and the kid managed to twist practically mid-air so he still landed on his feet. He glowered at the teen and he was amazed that the kid just grinned back at him. "Good to see you, too, pest."

"Aww, I knew you had some love in there for me." Michelangelo cooed, clasping both hands over his heart.

"We should go get your luggage," Leo chimed in so that Mikey wouldn't run off on a tangent. He then turned and headed over to luggage pick ups, fully expecting his brother to follow. Raph slung his arm around Mikey's shoulders to drag him along while the teen babbled on and on about his flight. 

Mikey kept up his banter until Leo was a sufficient distance away, he turned and whispered in the most serious tone he'd ever have. "How's he holding up?"

The question threw the fighter for a loop. "Wha?"

"Leo. How's he doing?"

Ah. Raph considered the question. "He doesn't tell me much. Shuts me out."

"Don't let him," Mikey countered so quickly that Raph arched a brow. "That's what he does to cope and it's the worst thing he can do, Raph. If he crawls inside himself like that, he just... don't let him."

"Okay?" Raph looked back at Leo's form, admiring his rear. "He's done this before?"

"Yeah. And it wasn't pretty." The way Michelangelo said it made Raph want to walk faster to Leo. "He...he has issues dealing with his demons, dude. And he likes to be the martyr because he plays the hero so much. No one can handle shit like he does, you know? He just doesn't get that he doesn't have to deal with it alone." Mikey shrugged. "Maybe it's a throw back before Mom and Dad adopted him. I don't know."

Raph hummed a bit, taking what the little brother was saying to heart. "Then it's up to us to make certain he doesn't get lost then, huh?"

"Exactly." Mikey grinned, glancing back at Raph. "You know, I was a little worried before because I can't be here to keep an eye on him. Thanks, Raph."

"Yeah, what's family for."

"So we're picking up my stuff and going back to your place?"

"Our place isn't ready yet. We're staying at my brother's tonight."

"It's still not ready?" Mikey's face dropped as they came closer to Leo. "What the heck happened?"

"It was trashed," Leo said in his monotone voice. Both Raph and Mikey frowned when they heard that. "Everything was trashed. Everything."

Mikey pulled away from Raph to hang onto Leo. "Well, not _everything._ " The teen smiled. "You're still here, Leo."

That statement pulled a half smirk from him. "And?" Leo quirked a brow, glancing at Mikey but catching Raph's grin out of the corner of his eye. 

"And I brought a little some'in some'in from home, too." That drew Leo's attention back to his brother. "Yep! You know what I'm talking about!" That's when Leo offered a little smile. 

That something from home turned out to be a care package from his parents. Mikey had packed the box very carefully in the middle of his suitcase around haphazardly thrown clothes. Donnie chastized the youngest about his wrinkled dress clothes and took it upon himself to prepare Michelangelo's clothes for court. Mikey looked at Donnie, shrugging and apologizing as the taller man dragged out the iron to work on Mikey's pants and shirt. In the living room Raph watched Leo with the box that Mikey gave him. Leo treated it as if it was a holy relic, He slowly broke the packing tape and unfolded the flaps, releasing the scent of something green from within. Raph peered in as a smile broke on Leonardo's face. He reached in, lifting a box and held it out for Raph to examine. He took the box and opened it up, the smell of green hitting him fully. "What is it?" 

"That is tea." 

"Seriously?" 

"It's good tea." Leo tried to watch Raph wrinkle his nose and sniff the contents again while he continued digging through the box. "The tea is from my mother." He made a pleased sound as he lifted something else out. "The incense is from my father." 

"For what? Exorcism?" 

"Meditation." 

Raph turned back to Leo. "Meditation." 

"Yes." Leo looked like he was in his element as he wafted the incense by his nose. "I ran out some time ago and I simply haven't found a blend here that I like." 

"That the same with the tea, too?" 

The other man nodded, still seated with the box surrounded by his legs. Raph grunted something under his breath and then stood up. "Show me how to make it." 

"Why?" 

"Because if you're just sniffing it and it relaxes you that much, I'm gonna learn how to make it." Raph stopped and he scrunched up his face. "Man, I just asked you to show me how to cook something. That's just...That's just _wrong_." 

This time Leo laughed and stood up, offering Raph his hand. "Come on. I'll show you the proper way." 

"Does the proper way involve a fire extinguisher?" 

"No, silly!" Seeing Leo smile again was worth playing 'dumb' for a while. Raph stood by close and relished how Leo wound an arm around his waist, slipping his fingers into his back pocket as he explained the timing and water pouring to him. He couldn't help but relax against him as the urge to kiss his blue-eyed boyfriend was getting to the point of no return. 

"Clearly you're not going to be any sort of traveling salesman," Donnie continued as he ironed out Mikey's clothes. "Unless someone's going to travel with you all the ... time." He looked up and noticed Leo's little brother staring past Don's shoulder with a dopey, happy grin on his face. Don looked over his shoulder and saw his own brother kissing Leonardo. And it wasn't just some sweet pecks on the cheek, either! It was that slow, sensual, lost in each other's world kind of kiss. "It's not polite to stare," Donnie hissed as he glared back at the teen. 

"Oh, I'm gonna stare!" Mikey murmured right back. "That's a good sight, there. Leo that happy." Even a bit of a giggle escaped him when the lovers pulled back and Leo only had eyes for Raph. A bright smile graced his face before he thread his fingers in dark hair to pull Raph back into another kiss. Their only noticable interruption was the whistling tea kettle. 

Dinner was livelier than it had been in a long time, though whether it was because of Mikey's bubbly nature or the lack of tension in Leo because he received the care package it wasn't certain. For once even Donnie hung around to talk into the night hours and pulled out a board game to pass the time before court. The Game of Life seemed to be a hit especially when Mikey became a single dad to triplets and Donnie rented out his condo complex to them all dirt cheap. All too soon it was time to sleep and they were all contemplating how to bed everyone down. "I got it, dudes!" He pulled out a pouch and pulled out another bag like material. "Bed in a bag for the win!" 

Donatello quirked a brow, eyeing his own brother for a moment. "A what in a what?" 

With as much flourish as he could muster, Michelangelo whipped out this large sheet and within moments turned it into some oblong bag of air. "Inflatable hammock. It's the most awesome thing some dude invented!" Once the end was tied off, he set it on the floor with a bright 'ta-da!' 

"Great," Raph muttered. "We're gonna have to tie the airhead _and_ the bed down so they don't float away." 

"Raph." Leo elbowed the fighter even though he was smirking. "And that's going to be comfortable for you, Mikey?" 

"Yep! It's like sleeping on a cloud." He fell backwards onto the contraption, grinning only after he was sure it wasn't going to pop. "See?" 

Court turned out to be a grueling day. From 10 am until 6 they were trapped in that building while lawyers haggled over the tiniest details. Leo found it exhausting to not only keep Raph from shouting out his frustrations but to also keep his little brother still. In the end it seemed as if no headway was made. Slash's attorneys focused on Mikey's ADHD and whether his broken bone was due to his hyperactivity instead of the fight and then the fact that Donatello was the acting resident in the ER who treated both Mikey and Leo. Their attorneys fired back about the fact that Slash has repeatedly violated restraining orders and has been a general nusiance for the area. Not to mention the alleged burgle of Leonardo's apartment. Without any headway made, court was dismissed until the next day, leaving everyone to reel in the animosity that was growing by the hour. 

Raph nearly ripped off his tie with a growl and chucked it at the chair as he then ripped the buttons out of their holes. Mentally exhausted, Leo flopped down onto the couch, watching as Mikey flopped down next to him and Raph continued to growl and pace while Donnie moved easily around him. "Getting teed off isn't going to help things." 

"I'm a little past the getting part, Donnie." 

Leonardo watched the tension begin to escalate. He'd been around Raphael long enough to know that if he wasn't given an outlet for his frustrations soon, there was going to be an explosion. And Mikey was the same way...sort of. Don was trying to keep the peace but he too was under the same stress they all were and his need to release some of the pent up energy was palpable as well. It took him a minute to come to a decision and he stood up, grabbing his keys. "Come on. Mikey, I've got an extra set you can use. Donnie, grab some sweats." 

"What?" Raph's brother did a double take and stared at Leo. "Sweats?" 

"Yes." Leo nodded as Mikey whooped, trying to grab Raph to drag him back to the elevators. "It's not a dojo, but it'll do." 

"Dojo. You mean the gym?" 

"-Come on, Raphie! I wanna see Leo tan your hide!" 

"-Okay, okay. Let go, dammit." 

Leo watched Raph scowl a bit at Mikey, but went into Donnie's room regardless. "Yes. We're all pent up. It's time to expend some of that energy." 

"Oh really. And you think I'll just go and fist fight with you all...why?" 

"It'll be like old times, Donnie," Raph slapped Don between the shoulder blades and walked past with a duffel. "After all, there's always the bikes." 

Donnie stared at Raph, practically glaring at him.in the process. "Seriously? You're serious." 

"Like a heart attack, Donnie-boy! Let's go. Fearless says we go." 

Donnie turned and looked at Leo. "You're calling the shots, here?" 

Leo shrugged a bit, waiting for Don to walk through the door first. "Apparently? Everyone's all keyed up. What better way to expend that frustrated energy than some good old hand to hand?" 


	13. blowing steam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut? Yeah, there's some smut, finally

Donatello had to admit that Leo was right. The four of them crashed the gym just as Steve was shutting it down. Upon seeing Donnie with them, he simply smirked and nodded. "Make certain he wears his tiara," and then left the boys to their own devices.

When Leo had it in his mind to do something, he did it. And he even had Donnie with them even though the tall guy was mentioning all of these other things he needed to be doing rather than re-familiarizing himself with punches and kicks he would trade with his brother when he was barely ten years old. It was when their father decided to get one great fighter out of them and pitting them against each other instead of building them up that Don had pulled out. He was a lover, not a fighter and all that rot. But now that they were older the competitiveness was still there, but it had been tempered. Mellowed out. No doubt that was mostly Leo's doing. And Leo was certain to distract them with enough physical activity that the courts were nothing but a distant memory.

"See, THIS is what I miss the most at home," Mikey started with Don as they took a breather and Leo and Raph circled around each other, each trying to find an opening. 

"Training?" Donatello offered as he followed Mikey's line of sight. 

" _Leo._ " Michelangelo's dark eyes turned to Raph's brother. "He knows when people are gonna pop and then just redirects all that energy and runs it out. He's always been amazing like that." The sparring between their brothers started and Mikey's attention went back on them, cheering Leo on. Donnie watched Mikey for a moment more before he became Raph's cheer leader, falling into the role and enjoying the mock battle played out before them.

Raphael's focus was on the flinty blue eyed man before him, snarling with a feral grin as he worked to get the upper hand. It was a strange contrast to watch the tension in his muscles but knowing he was relaxed in this ring. Leo seemed very determined to win this fight and Raph was equally determined to make him earn it. And in the end, Raphael was breathing hard, staring up at Leo who had him so thoroughly pinned that he couldn't move even if he wanted to. Which he didn't. The vision of Leonardo smirking down at him, breathing hard was enough to have Raph almost tell him he better not get up. And then the smug comment? "Guess I finally get to be top dog." Yep. Leo had better not think about getting up any time soon.

"Gotta have our own place again," Raph murmured softly enough so that only Leo heard. The man above him grinned just before dropping down to kiss him. Deeply. Raphael had to stifle his groan with a hum as he breathed in deeply, letting his eyes drift shut.

"Oh God- Donnie, get the water hose!" Mikey bellowed out after a half minute. "You can't _do_ that there! People _train_ there!"

Both younger brothers were gifted with a single finger salute from Raph as he used his arm to draw Leo down. Donatello started laughing as he darted off for a spray bottle and Raph grunted softly as he felt Leo's tongue in his mouth. Mikey was still sounding off somewhere in the background and it was eventually enough to pull Leo away. "I'll hold you to that."

"I'm sure you will, Fearles--AY!" Suddenly cold water was getting squirted on them and they both shifted quickly to dodge the spray. Donnie face was a toothy grin as Mikey cackled in the background. 

"Run, dude, _Run!_ "

 

 

Leo was never so frustrated than that night. It was too late to move everything back to the apartment and they all came in one car. He was currently flat on his back, enjoying the weight of Raphael on him as he tangled his tongue with his lover. Mere feet away was his brother. Raph was toying with him, first stroking his dick with two fingers and then slowly curling around his sack to draw fingers along the cleft of his rear. Leo didn't know if he wanted to arch up or roll back or what with the way Raph was keeping his attentions varied. 

It felt like his soul was sinking into the mattress of the sofa sleeper as Raph lifted his mouth up again so they could breathe. In the dark Leo could still see the spark in Raph's eyes. They practically glittered as Raph eased a finger inside just to see how relaxed Leo was. He dove back in, working his lips and tongue over Leo's while slowly and mind breaking gently working that finger just to the first knuckle. Leo was more than warm and relaxed so while Raph twisted his tongue around his lover's, his finger very gently pressed up. It wasn't nearly as far as it needed to be to touch secret spots, but it was in far enough to stretch. Suddenly Leo's body grabbed at the digit, trying to pull him in deeper. It was all Raph could to to avoid laughing. Hell, he even grunted when Leo leaned up to barely whisper--

"Fuck me, already."

"Yer bro's right. There." Raph punctuated the warning with his finger in Leo's ass. It didn't seem to have the desired effect as Leo sucked in a breath and caught Raph's lobe in his teeth.

"You've been _teasing_ me for hours," the other man practically growled around the soft flesh.

"I remember you teasing me for _days,_ " Raph countered with a tone that was meant to be good natured. Instead it sounded more like a growl as he kept easing his finger deeper, relishing in how Leo's body demanded more. "Always pouncin' me, dropping down t'ya knees."

" _Raphael_."

Both pairs of eyes stared at each other in frozen silence. Leo hadn't said anything and no one heard Donnie's door open. That meant that--

"Dude's got fifteen minutes." MIkey got up from his air bag and groaned as he stretched. "No, make that ten. Even nicer if you finished in five, but I don't know how any of that works." As an afterthought, he grabbed his phone. "Nothing like a shower at three A.M." 

He was annoyed. Even Leo could hear it and he looked up at his retreating brother. "Mikey, I'm--" He never got the chance to complete the statement as the bathroom door shut and the water turned on. It was almost enough of a cold bucket to get Leo to settle down until Raph grabbed his mouth and kissed him. "Raph--" The name was muddled under Raphael's lips.

"You heard him. We got ten." Raphael was breathing hard, already working on getting their pajamas off. His other hand was looking for that dainty bottle of lube.

"No-wait. We can't do this."

"Yes we can." Raph looked at Leo as if his boyfriend went crazy. "He said we had ten minutes."

"We pushed him out of this room." Leo seemed more than ready to end this and Raph arched a brow at him even more. "It's not right."

"You're getting all honor-bound on me after you pleaded for me to fuck you?" Raph's jaw hung open as Leo sat up and started to leave the bed. "Are you serious?"

"He's my brother, Raphael. I have to apologize."

"He's fucking serious." Raph said that more to himself in unbelieving wonder as Leo moved towards the bathroom. 

"Mikey?" Leo knocked once and then let himself in when he found the door unlocked. The bathroom was already steaming from the water and Leo stepped over Mike's bedclothes to sit on the toilet. "Mike, I'm sorry."

A confused face peeked out from around the curtain, peering at Leo. "Dude, why the hell are you in here?"

"Because I have to apologize? I was acting like some uncontrollable, hormonal teenager with no self restraint."

Michelangelo still continued to stare at Leo. "Again, Leo. Why are you in here?"

"What I was doing was wrong." Leo looked up when he heard the razz from his brother as Mikey's face disappeared. "I'm _trying_ to apologize to you."

"You don't have to apologize! You still have some steam to blow and I get it! Why do you think I'm in here?" 

"But you shouldn't have to be--"

"--Yes, I do." Michelangelo continued his routine in the shower, sighing heavily. "Some of us don't wanna know what their big brothers do in their happy fun times, alright? I came in here for a breather so that you could get screwed silly so you can sleep."

"But you were upset."

"I'm half asleep, dude!" Mikey's face was back out, this time with soap suds drifting around in his hair. "Look. You're in _love_. You're _happy_ , bro. And you so definitely deserve it! I'm in here giving you and Raph some privacy, okay? So why the hell are you in here when you have that hot bod out there ready to service you?"

"Do you really have to be that crude?"

"Do you deny it?"

Leo was silent, refusing to answer that.

"You have my blessing, Leo. He's a good guy." Mikey smirked. "He'll take care of you."

"Thank you, Mike." Leo couldn't help but smile a bit, already getting up to leave.

"Not that you needed my blessing, Leonardo. He's already been in your pants."

Leo went back out to the living room, closing the door behind him so that the steam and warm air wouldn't escape. He frowned, looking at how Raph was positioned. On his side, back facing him, looking asleep. He admitted to himself that he didn't exactly handle it well and it showed in the way Raph postured against him. He didn't even look at Leo when he exited the bathroom. Leo steadied his expression and moved forward, crawling back into bed and cringing when Raph didn't move. He didn't even move when Leo slide his hand around Raph's waist.

"Raph?"

"Sleepin'," he grunted, not even bothering to move. He felt Leo's hand travel lower and he shifted, not really moving Leo's hand out of the way but just trying to get him to stop. "Said, I'm _sleepin_."

"The rest of you isn't," Leo mumbled back. "I had to make certain he was okay."

Raph still hadn't moved. Leo's heart sank a bit. If he was going to get anything, he was going to have to pull out all the stops. His hand curled around the half hard member and gave a light squeeze. Raph's shift in breathing was an excellent indicator that he wasn't immune to Leo's charms. Grinning, the cadet nosed Raph's hair aside to drag his teeth along the back of his lover's neck.

"Fuck." The fighter moved swiftly, turning over and pinning Leo down, ravaging his mouth with a new hunger. Leo couldn't get his bottoms off fast enough. "You're horrible. You and your high moral ground."

"This is high moral ground?" Leo whispered, grasping Raph's hips before shoving the cotton away and lifting one leg to curl around Raph's ribs. "You're higher than I am, right now."

Soon enough they were both high. Raph thrust sharp and fast, breathing roughly as he balanced himself on one hand. The other was fisting over Leo's cock and his eyes were feasting upon the shadows the motion created. Leo was trembling beneath him, caught between a hand and a dick, unable to figure out how he should move. A low, gutteral sound escaped when he saw stars from the spot Raph was catching each time he pushed in. Raph shifted suddenly as he felt that tension grow under him, balancing on his elbow as he clapped his hand over Leo's mouth just before those desperate wails and whimpers started. The clench of muscles surrounded him so quickly and suddenly that Raphael choked as he was pulled into an orgasm of his own. He buried himself deeply, breathing hard as he felt and heard Leo's heart race under his cheek and ear.

Raphael startled a bit as he felt Leo's hand twine in the one still covering his mouth, pressing it into his lips for an impromptu kiss. He relaxed a little more, slowly easing out of Leo's body as he moved up to snuggle with him, offering lips as a subsitute for his hand. Leonardo sighed in contentment as he sleepily brushed his lips against Raph's. "Love ya, Fearless."

" _Aishiteru_ ," Leo barely managed to get out before he slipped away into unconsciousness.

A few minutes later Mikey emerged from the bathroom, walking past the two lovers and smiling warmly to himself as he moved into bed.


	14. The memory of...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, mucho apologies for updating late on everything. I'm having the growing pains of leaving the employee life and becoming a business owner! It's been a stressful trip, but I know it will all work out in the end. I just feel like I'm giving birth to a kidney stone colony.

"Home sweet home," Raph breathed as he flopped down on his couch, happy to be back in familiar settings. Leo followed into the apartment with a couple duffel bags and Mikey tailing him. 

"It is good to be home," Leo agreed cautiously. He considered Raph's apartment more his own than his apartment downstairs. He set the bags down as Michelangelo proceeded to familiarize himself with everything. Again. In fact Mikey was in the process of running a complete commentary about it. Leo merely rolled his eyes and moved to snuggle up against Raph on the couch. Donnie had been more than gracious with his apartment but there was just something about being home that was better. "Do I get to do that thing, tonight?" Leo asked in a whisper as he nosed Raph's ear.

Raph grunted. "What thing?" It was fun to play dumb, sometimes. Raph smirked as he felt lips on his throat. "Haven't gotten enough, huh?"

"Mm." Leo nibbled on his lover's earlobe for a moment before answering. "You know that thing I won fair and squ--"

"Can you two at least _wait_ until I go home tomorrow?" Mikey huffed as he watched the two on the couch. 

"He has a point," Leo conceeded, finally forcing some space between himself and Raph. "I'm sorr--" He couldn't finish the apology as his face was bombarded with whipped cream. Raph cackled beside him. Leo slowly scooped the topping out of his eyes and fixed his icy glare at his little brother. "Michelangelo!"

"What, brah? Someone totally left this in the fridge!" He jumped back when Leo made a move towards him, pointing the dairy weapons at both Leo and Raph who was nearly doubled over at this point. "One more step and I'll shoot! I'm not bluffing!"

Raph held up a hand, still trying to catch his breath and suddenly he was christened with whipped cream as well. The laughter suddenly stopped. 

"Whoops~" Mikey started, watching a second murderous glare level with him. "Eh-heh... twitchy trigger finger, honest!"

"You flank left?" Leo murmured.

Raph gave a sharp nod. "You flank right."

Both the older men leaped up after the teen and Mikey let out a very girlish wail as he chucked the cans at the guys and turned to run for his life.

With Mikey's time in court finally over, he was ready to go home, just in time for the holidays. The whipped cream battle the day before harbored no ill feelings as Leo watched his little brother pace excitedly in the waiting area. "You guys gotta call me as soon as they come up with a verdict, okay?" Mikey turned back to his brother. "And ya gotta promise me you'll come up for Christmas next year."

Leo nodded amicably. "Of course. Please send Mother and Father my love. I miss them." He took a sudden step back as he was bombarded by a Mikey hug. After a moment Leonardo returned with equal fierceness.

"They miss you too, dude." He planted a huge, noisy kiss on Leo's cheek and Raph watched with a smile, What he wasn't prepared for was the way Mikey darted over to him to do the same thing. "And I know when they meet you, they're going to _love_ you!"

"Erg!" Raph awkwardly patted Mikey's back, not knowing how to take that. "Uhm...glad you're confident about that?"

"Why wouldn't they? Leo loves the snot out of you!" He moved to plant one big, sloppy kiss on the fighter's cheek but only managed the palm of Raph's hand as he shielded himself from the attack.

"Okay, okay, nutball. Have a safe trip, alright?" Raph finally wiggled his way out of Mikey's grip and smirked as he put some distance between them. 

"Yeah, I will." Mikey's tone softened considerably as he heard the announcement for his flight. "Gotta jet, dudes. I'll call when I'm home, kay?"

Raph took the wheel on the way home, glancing at Leo now and again as he watched the other mope in the passenger seat. "You okay?" 

"Fine." Leo didn't even look at Raphael when he answered.

"Bullshit."

"If it's bullshit, why did you ask?"

"Because fillin' the silence with something is better than you brooding like some emo roadie." Leo smirked and tried to turn his head away so that Raph didn't catch it. "What do you want to do now, Fearless?"

"You?" He said it half jokingly, thinking that Raph was going to scoff at him some more. He turned his head when Raph didn't snark back at him. "Raph?"

The fighter still continued to contemplate the insinuation and finally nodded as he turned down the road for home. "That can be arranged. After all, you won fair and square."

Leo's face dropped as he turned to look at Raphael. The fighter merely kept looking to the road, grinning. 

 

They practically crashed into the apartment, hands groping as their mouths battled for dominance. Raph just managed to shut the front door before Leo started dragging them back to his bed. _Eager little shit_ , Raph smirked as he followed after, watching how lust darkened those ice blue eyes. "That eager for yer prize?"

"Hell, yes," Leo hissed, tugging his lover down into bed with him. The way Raph looked at him always made him shiver. To have someone throw a piercing stare at him and knowing that he was wanted and desired turned his insides into goo. For the life of him he couldn't remember a time when _any_ of his previous lovers looked at him the way Raphael did. _Maybe that's why I'm with him,_ he mused silently as he worked on undressing the fighter. To have someone struggle in attempts to help remove binding clothing was a turn on just like that smoldering gaze. But it was more than just the way Raph looked at him. He treated the cadet so well that Leo was still on the fence if he actually deserved him.

He tried not to think too much on it as he dropped kisses on Raph's mouth and jaw, taking his time to prepare his lover. Was he taking too long? The last thing Leonardo wanted to do was hurt him but it seemed nearly instantaneous for Leo to be ready. Yet Raph wasn't usually the one on bottom-Of course being careful was the most important thing, here. Even though Raph had said on occasion he wasn't a stranger to bottoming, they'd been together this long and this was going to be Leo's first time. He wanted it to be perfect without any flaws. It was going to be fantastic!

"Gonna get this movin' any time today?" Raph quipped as he felt the sting in his ass. He was never one for long prep times and much preferred just to bear with it in order to get to the good parts. Leo was almost hitting his prostate with those fingers and it was starting to get frustrating waiting for Leo to keep going. What Raph wasn't expecting was for Leo's eyes to glaze over as he teased his lover. "Leo?"

" _Are you going to get on with fucking me sometime today. or what?_ " The phrases were similar enough that Leo stopped, The last time he was in charge like this all he had received were bored sighs and irritated glances. " _What the hell's wrong now? Can't get it up? **Figures**._ " The scoff stung just as badly now as it did before. " _Even your dick got tired waiting for you and went back to sleep. Don't even bother, it's not worth the effort._ "

" _LEO._ " This wasn't like him. Raph had never seen Leo go almost catatonic. Sure, he had that thousand mile stare a time or too, but it wasn't as if he stopped what he'd been doing completely. Seriously worried that something was terribly wrong, Raph pulled himself away with a wince before cupping Leo's face with both hands. "Hey! Earth to Leonardo. Leonardo Hamato!" Raph was half afraid he was going to have to slap Leo to get his attention.

Finally after a good shake of his shoulders Leo blinked his way into the present. For a moment he looked mystified that Raph was there, sitting up and rattling his bones. Then realization melted Leo's features as the shock gave way to guilt. "Oh, God," he muttered wretchedly, trying to pull away from Raph's grasp. "I--I can't believe I did that." Not only did Leo zone out but for however long he was inside his head, all he could hear was _her_. How long had Raphael been trying to get him out of the trance? What the hell had caused it? How _dare_ she still be inside his head, screwing up this relationship too! A sound came from him as he tried to distance himself from Raph, his face crumbling in the process.

" _No._ " He might not have understood what was going on but Raphael knew that he couldn't let Leo push him away. He clung that much harder, gathering his love in a tight embrace. "No, you don't get to pull away and shut down like that. No fuckin' way." As Leo feebly tried to get away, Raph just hung on tighter, "Will you... just tell me what's wrong?" Softer now, Raph pleaded gently. He could feel the tension in Leo's body start to break away into a trembling sob and Raph stared at his lover, not knowing what he should be doing. So he held onto Leo, rocking gently as the young man started to work through what had been plaguing him for some time now.

"You don't deserve this," Leo muttered sullenly, tears abating for the time being. "You really, _really_ don't."

"What are you talking about?" 

" _Me!_ " Leo practically screamed at Raph. "You don't deserve me! You should have someone who i-is-isn't impotent. Someone who can actually satis--"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Back up there, Fearless." Raphael sat up more abruptly as he stared at Leo. "First of all-and I should be considered an expert on this- You. Are. Not. Impotent." He desperately tried to figure out how and where Leo thought that was truth. 

Leo simply stared at his lover, not quite comprehending. "But I can't--"

"You. Are. Not. Impotent." He stressed every word, cradling Leo's face with his hands as he pressed their foreheads together. "Never in a million years and once I find out who the _hell_ put that in yer head, I'm gonna find them and put them six feet under." Leo blushed furiously and looked down, not knowing how to respond to that. Raph had to hook his finger under Leo's chin to bring the young man's eyes up. "You are not broken, either. I've felt with my own body how wonderful and passionate you are."

"I can't--"

"So?" 

"But--"

"Leo," Raph had to lean in and kiss his mouth. His tongue twisted and plundered, working hard to make Leo break his current train of thought. Was _this_ the reason why Leo was always so eager to get him off first? Because Leo was under the thought that he couldn't perform the way he thought Raph wanted him to? The more he thought about it, the more his blood boiled. "So what? Yer not ready. I'm not pushin' for anything you're not ready for. I like what we got now, okay? It's not the end of the world if we don't do some things."

"She said I was boring." Leo barely whispered after a long moment of silence. His blue eyes lifted up again. "My ex."

"She better not be your current," he joked lightly, trying to lift Leo's spirits up a bit. Raph caught the tiny curve of a smile on Leo's mouth and he could feel his heart start beating again. It was a tiny crack that his lover was breaking through, but it was a vast improvement than him just being quiet with that dead stare. Leo sat curled up in the protection of Raphael's arms, explaining in broken phrases the things she told him, the things she accused him of. And Raph had to execute every fiber of will power not to blow up on Leo's behalf. The things that girl told Leo were beyond cruel and Raph had to try and soothe himself with the thought that she was states away and couldn't hurt Leo any more.

When the young man finally fell silent, Raph hugged him tighter, trying to think of something to say. Steve was much better at this consoling shit! "Ya know...maybe yer body had a better clue than you did. You didn't get the memo that she wasn't right for you so your body went into protection mode."

"What?" It sounded ridiculous and Leo's face confirmed it. "Raph, that's just like saying when a wo--"

"Look." His warm hand was suddenly between Leo's legs, just cupping him as his deep brown eyes bore into ice blue ones. "What are you feelin' now?"

Leo looked at Raph flatly. "Your hand on my crotch?"

"You know what I mean."

Leo sat quietly, analizing what Raph was trying to tell him. It was difficult to accomplish considering Raphael's hand was on the parts that definitely wanted Raph's hand to do something other than cover them. His breath hitched when he felt that twitch of interest and he looked back at Raph in shock. His lover nodded, letting a tiny smirk break through. "You ever feel that when she put her hand on ya?"

"N-no. Never."

"Right." Raph pressed a kiss to Leo's temple before moving to lay on his side and drag Leo down with him. "Not broken. You just need to know how to fiddle with the ignition."

That made Leo laugh as he followed Raph's urging. "That's horrible. I'm not a car."

"You could be a motorcycle?" He mimicked the vibration of the motor by Leo's ear just so the other needed to bat him away with a grin. "I'll make your motor hum all the time."

"Oh _God_ , Raph! Stop!" With a grin, the more dominate male settled down, content to snuggle with his lover as their fingers twined together. It was sometime later when Leo thought Raph would surely be asleep when he whispered something else before closing his eyes. "I love you."

"Love ya, Fearless."


	15. PTSD and a whole host of other things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guys, Thank You for still being in on this. I never thought I'd have this fic go on for as long as it did. Human AU is not my Forte and I started it on a whim and a giggle and a plea to get some pictures from Sakycchan. It WORKED! 
> 
> And while I feel the story isn't over, trying to drag it out of my head has been an ordeal. So thank you for your patience and I hope that one day, I will be able to come to some conclusion with it that leaves a satisfaction with me.

A balmy 88 degrees and the ceremony was still held outside. The screen overhangs did little to shield them from the oppressive heat. Every seat was filled and Raph and Leo were halfway down the rows, barely able to see the front stage. "Why the hell didn't we get here sooner," Raphael grumbled as he craned his neck to try and see the empty chairs on the stage.

"You said that being here early was useless," Leo reminded him mildly, leafing through the program. "We'd have to stay out here longer and possibly die from heat exhaustion. "

"Yeah, but now I can't see a damn thing."

Leo looked back to his boyfriend. "When you see one you've seen them all?"

"Ppfffsh, Shut up." He pouted, pointedly avoiding looking at Leo. "Donnie's in this one."

"Then maybe we _should_ have left earlier," Leo grinned. "Instead of delaying ourse--"

"Hey, married people!" Steve hissed in their direction to gain their attention. "Get yer asses over here with us." Raph snapped his head around to see his business partner. "Yes, numbnutz, I got here early to get good seats. Come on!"

"You're awesome, dude," Raph grinned-the first time since arriving, and hurried to collect his things.

"Yeah, yeah. Ya can kiss me later."

"I think your wife would disapprove of that one."

Leo simply grinned, looking down to make certain his phone was off before settling in to watch Donatello graduate. He was waiting for an important call but it could wait. It could wait for Raph. Hours later they finally could cheer their hearts out as Donnie walked across the stage with Raph doing his best to out-cheer the immediate friends around him. "GO DOC-DON!"

It wasn't until half way into the party at the gym that Leo thought to turn on his phone. As luck would have it, missed call. Excusing himself, he moved off into the locker room to listen to the voice mail left for him. A few minutes later he returned to the party with a vapidly pleasant smile plastered on his face. Raph had been speaking to one of Donnie's classmates, telling the star struck adult how he pummeled Don into the dirt when Donnie was six. The moment he saw Leo emerge from the locker area he excused himself, dodging past people to hook his arm around his lover. "Hey. You okay?"

"I'm fine, Raph." His smile was there, his pleasant demeanor was there. His eyes weren't. And that's when Raphael knew something was up. "You should be enjoying the party with your brother."

"Ya get your call, yet?"

"No." He prayed that his face was level as Raphael scrutinized him. "Not yet. They must be taking their time."

"Yeah, well let me know. I wanna hear you graduate too."

Leonardo basked in the side hug Raph gave him and then finally forced a grin, pushing his boyfriend away playfully. "Don't make me go and teach you a lesson."

"Nah, that's for tonight." Raph winked and headed on off to the rest of the party. He fought the urge to look back at Leo, knowing that something still wasn't right. And it was like that for weeks. As each day passed, Raph watched his boyfriend drift away. There was still no word on the cadet's graduation but Leo kept evading that. Paperwork, blah blah blah. And Leo had taken to withdrawing from their usual things-eating together, zoning out in front of the TV. There were mysterious appointments that he had to attend to while Raph dealt with either the courts or work. All of it confusing since Leo had never done any of this before.

"Dude, is Leo cheatin' on you?" Juan asked while rinsing off the day's work in the shower.

"What?!" Raph peered over the low shower head, glaring at his friend. "What the hell made ya think that?"

"Have you seen him lately?" Juan glanced over to the fighter. "Have you actually paid attention?"

"'Course I have, you fuck!" Leonardo? Cheating on him? No fucking way. But the seed was planted and Raphael was quiet until he came home to his empty apartment. It was almost to the point where they never saw each other anymore. Raph originally thought it was because of the stress of the academy but now with what his buddy said, it made him wonder if something else wasn't going on. Leo had been despondent, aloof, pretending things were okay but not really stating details. He'd lost weight, lost sleep. Trial had been over weeks ago and it seemed like the guy couldn't turn himself around over it. Maybe that trial affected his school work. The concept made the fighter frown deeply as he went to prepare dinner.

Another day of trying to find what went wrong in an hour session came up completely useless. Leo was exhausted mentally as he trudged back home. He didn't want to run, meditate, even training with Raphael was exhausting. The new prescription he was told to pick up held very little hope for him. He didn't like taking the medication since it made him feel off. Hell, even dinner that Raph was making smelled lackluster. His eyes drifted around the apartment and how much he had integrated into Raphael's life. The swords were on one wall mounting, his meditation mat in one corner. Weights were in the other corner and in danger of tripping up anyone who was careless enough to trip over them. Leo stepped over them easily as he moved into the kitchen. "Hi, Raph."

Leonardo was expecting a kiss, a grumble of greeting, maybe even a grope to try and create some excitement for the evening. What he got instead was a fiery glare and some grunt that was supposed to be a hello. Instead he blinked up as he caught Raph's growl. "So who you been seein?"

"Excuse me?"

"Who you been seein, Leo?" Raph was not going to let it go. "I ain't stupid!"

Oh, God. Raphael learned of his therapist! Humiliated, Leo sat heavily in the chair, staring at the table for a long time before he gathered any sort of courage to look up to his obviously furious boyfriend. "His name's Doctor Vito Fisher."

Just like that, all of Raphael's fury deflated. He sat in the seat across from Leo, shoulder's slumped, face still slack in shock. "A doctor."

"Yes."

...

"For how long?"

"About six weeks."

The food was going to char at this rate. Raphael couldn't bring himself to care. "All this time, ya been seein' this _doctor_. And you've been still here?"

This time, Leo looked up, arching a brow at his boyfriend. "It was mandated by the academy." Leo's frown deepened when he heard the fighter laugh. "Raph?"

"You really gonna believe that I'm going to swallow that pill?" Raph looked defeated. His hands were clenched into fists but it seemed as if the fight had gone out of him. "Just... just lay it all out there, Leo. I'm a big boy. I can take it."

It was about time that Leo had told Raphael the truth. Clearly him being in therapy had been taking it's toll and it wasn't fair to Raphael. "I...I failed the psych eval on the test." That one sentence nearly killed him to say, but he managed to choke that out. Unable to look at Raphael, he kept his eyes trained to the table. "They won't let me pass until I complete the evaluation and therapy to ... to work through it. So far I've been diagnosed with clinical depression, and mild case of anorexia, PTSD from Slash." Leo paused, waiting for Raphael to fill in the void. He didn't so Leo just shrugged, trying to laugh it off. "There's anxiety, which seems really weird for the depression and it's causing some uh-sexual dysfunction but I'm not a shrink, so--" He stiffened up in surprise as he felt warm arms surround and nearly squeeze the life out of him. It felt....nice. Drawing in a shaky breath, Leo snuggled more into the crook of Raph's neck, closing his eyes.

"I thought were were seeing a doctor, Leo, not _going_ to one."

"What?" The admission caught him off guard. "You ... you thought I was cheating on you?" Raph didn't confirm the question and simply held onto Leo. "Shit, Raph--"

"No, I get it. That _bitch_ ," the insult growled out of the fighter as he squeezed Leo tighter. "All the shit you've been through. We'll get through this, Leo. And yeah, thought you were finally tired of me grousing at ya."

"I thought... since I didn't make the police force....you--"

"Fuck them. I just want ya to be _happy_." Raph finally pulled back to look at his lover. There was still no smile on his face, just a lost look in his eye. "And you will be. I just wish you told me sooner that you didn't get in. You shouldn't have been doing any of this alone."

"Dinner's burning."

"Stop changing the subject." In thirty seconds the smoke alarm was going to go off. Raph decided to let the food burn in favor for taking care of his boyfriend. "When did you learn that they weren't gonna take ya?"

The admission was so soft that Raph had to lean in to hear. "When Donnie graduated."

"That long ago?" Leo was expecting anger for keeping it a secret for that long. Raphael's voice was soft this time, almost tender. "Shit, Leo. You've been handling it all on yer own for that long? Almost two months?"

He shrank against Raph at the perceived chastisement, ducking his head again. Leo jumped when the alarm screamed and Raph finally had to get up and rip the device off the wall and chuck it into the sink. "Piece of shit. Thought I pulled the batteries out of that."

"I put them back in. You never know."

"What, when you'd get some strange kink to try and cook?" 

Normally that would have had Leo roll his eyes and smirk but today he simply sat where he was, hands in his lap. Raphael returned to his seat after tossing the ruined dinner and pan in the sink, reaching out for Leo's hands. "Yer not doing this alone, Leonardo. You're not taking the whole world on your shoulders and carrying it around like it's nothing. No one can do that."

A shaky inhale finally came from the cadet, making Raph freeze. "But I'm supposed to be this cop. Now I'm nothing--"

"Yer my boyfriend and if ya think that's shit, I'll pound ya."

Leo's eyes lifted up to look at Raph's smirk. God, how he loved this man. "I moved away to be a cop."

"Ya moved away ta find yourself. Let me tell you, cop's a shit job with shitty pay. The benefits suck." That pulled a half smile from Leo. The relief in Raphael that Leo still found a bit of humor was almost suffocating to him. "I wouldn't be here where I am now without ya, Fearless."

"I love you too, Raph."

As much as Raph wanted to pull Leo in and drag him into the bedroom to remind him exactly hot much he was loved, Raph merely smiled and kissed Leo's forehead. "Well, now that I pulled a 'Leo' in the kitchen here." The huff of amusement made Raph's heart soar. They were going to be alright. It was going to take a while, but it would happen. "How about we go to that new Chinese place so you can teach me those damn sticks, again?" It would get Leo to eat, he hoped.

"Can we do take out?"

It wasn't exactly what he was thinking of, but Leo didn't balk at the thought of eating. He would take that as a victory. "Sure thing, Fearless."


End file.
